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Library 


UiMiVERSi  i Y OF 
ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
BOOKSTACKS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/treeguidetreeseaOOroge 


TREE  GUIDE 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

The  Tree  Book 
The  Shell  Book 

Earth  and  Sky  Every  Child  Should  Know 
Trees  Every  Child  Should  Know 
A Key  to  the  Nature  Library 
The  Book  of  Useful  Plants 
Wild  Animals  Every  Child  Should  Know 


TREE  GUIDE 

TREES  EAST  OF  THE  ROCKIES 

BY 

JULIA  ELLEN  ROGERS 


Illustrated  in  color  and  black 
and  white  from  photographs 


GARDEN  CITY,  N.  Y.,  AND  TORONTO 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  & COMPANY 
1922 


Copyright , 19 Ilf,  by 

Doubleday,  Page  & Company 

All  rights  reserved,  including  that  of 
translation  into  foreign  languages , 
including  the  Scandinavian 


PRINTED  AT  GARDEN  CITY,  N.  Y.,  U.  S.  A. 


7/5" 

R&S't/'f'' 

Cm./H 


HOW  TO  KNOW  THE  TREES 


Every  one  of  us  loves  the  sight  of  green  things  growing.  It  is  natural 
£ that  trees,  which  are  greatest  in  all  the  plant  kingdom,  should  inspire  in  us 
^ the  highest  admiration.  Their  terms  of  life  so  far  outrun  the  puny  human 
'X  span!  They  stand  so  high,  and  spread  so  far  their  sheltering  arms!  We 
bless  them  for  the  gifts  they  bring  to  supply  our  bodily  needs,  and  for  their 
v beauty,  which  feeds  our  souls! 

\To  love  trees  intelligently  we  must  learn  to  know  them.  We  must  be 
ble  to  call  them  by  name,  whenever  and  wherever  we  meet  them.  This 
* is  fundamental  to  any  friendship.  It  is  a fund  of  knowledge  that  starts 
with  little,  but  grows  more  rapidly,  year  by  year. 

Turned  loose  in  a forest,  we  are  first  confused  and  discouraged  by  the 
' number  of  different  kinds  of  trees,  all  unknown  to  us.  Next,  we  notice 
similarities  of  leaf  or  flower  or  fruit  that  show  a number  of  individual  trees 
to  be  of  the  same  kind,  or  species.  Perhaps  these  differ  but  slightly 


v 


from  others,  which  we  decide  must  be  near  relatives  of  the  first  kind.  Be- 
fore long  we  have  discovered  for  ourselves  the  following  interesting  facts: 

1.  Each  distinct  species  of  trees  in  the  woods  has  as  many  individuals 
as  possible.  Seedlings  of  all  sorts  compete  for  standing-room.  Each  year 
a new  crop  of  seed  is  sown  by  parent  trees. 

2.  The  individual  species  are  closely  related  to  other  species,  forming 
what  the  botanists  call  genera.  Fifty  different  species  of  trees  are  distin- 
guished by  bearing  acorns.  They  form  a single  genus,  the  oaks. 

3.  Several  related  genera  compose  a family.  The  nut  trees  form  such  a 
family.  The  group  includes  the  oaks,  hickories,  etc. 

The  one  characteristic  by  which  an  oak  can  be  recognized  is  its  acorn. 
This  introduces  the  beginner,  without  further  study,  to  all  the  members 
of  one  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  of  the  tree  families.  The  cone  dis  - 
tinguishes the  family  of  the  narrow-leaved  evergreens.  One  peculiarity 
of  its  leaf  arrangement  sets  the  pines  in  a genus  by  themselves.  Spruces 
are  a genus  distinguished  by  a few  traits. 

To  tell  one  oak  from  another  is  to  compare  differences  in  bark,  leaf. 


acorn,  and  in  general  form  and  expression  of  the  trees.  Here  a pocket 
manual  of  trees  will  prove  a great  help,  for  the  specific  differences  are 
stated  in  detail,  and  supplemented  by  a picture.  Directly  the  student 
comes  to  a decision.  The  tree  before  him  is,  or  is  not,  the  one  described 
and  pictured  on  the  page.  The  book  is  a friend  that  knows  all  the  trees,  and 
answers  questions;  that  introduces  the  newcomer  to  all  his  tree  neighbors. 

This  little  TREE  GUIDE  groups  together  in  families  the  trees  one 
commonly  meets  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  country.  This  includes  Canada, 
and  the  United  States  that  lie  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  With  the 
native  species  will  be  found  the  most  important  cultivated  species  brought 
from  other  countries,  and  now  quite  as  familiar  to  us  as  our  own  forest  trees. 

To  aid  the  beginner,  and  to  show  how  few  are  the  traits  to  learn,  when  he 
sets  out  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  tree  families,  a group  of  simple 
keys  are  presented  here.  By  them,  he  can  quickly  distinguish  members 
of  the  principal  groups.  Not  only  to  recognize  a tree,  but  to  be  able  to 
say  how  we  know  it,  is  the  help  offered  first  in  the  keys,  then  in  the  succeed- 
ing pages. 

vii 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

is  duly  made  to  the  following  for  their  kind  assistance  rendered  in  the  matter  of  securing 
photographs  for  use  in  this  volume: 

Forestry  Service,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture  Romeyn  B.  Hough  Company 
Mr.  Nathan  R.  Graves  J.  Horace  McFarland  Company 

Prof.  R.  M.  Harper  Prof.  Charles  S.  Sargent 


vhi 


TREE  GUIDE 


A*  Key  to  the  Evergreens,  or  Conifers. 

B.  Fruit,  a cone. 

C.  Foliage  needle-like,  conspicuous,  spirally 
arranged. 

D.  Leaves,  few  in  sheathed  bundle.  The  Pines 
DD.  Leaves,  many  in  unsheathed  tufts,  de- 
ciduous. The  Larches 

DDD.  Leaves,  solitary  and  scattered. 

E.  Leaves  flat,  blunt,  pale  beneath, 
2-ranked  on  twig. 

F.  Cones  erect,  large;  branches 
stiff;  bark  smooth,  with  resin 
blisters.  The  Firs 

FF.  Cones  pendent,  small;  branches 
supple;  bark  rough;  leaves 
on  minute  stalks.  The  Hemlocks 
EE.  Leaf-blades  4-sided,  sharp  at  tip,  not 
pale  beneath;  standing  out  in  all 
directions.  The  Spruces 

CC.  Foliage  scale-like,  minute,  4-ranked,  close 
pressed  to  twig;  cones  small.  The  White  Cedars 
BB.  Fruit,  a blue  berry;  foliage  spiny  or  scale-like, 
or  both.  The  Junipers , or  Red  Cedars 


Longleaf  Pine;  Southern  Pine  ( Pinus  palustris.  Mill.). 
90  to  120  feet.  Tall,  slender  tree  forming  loose,  oblong  head 
of  stout,  twisted  limbs.  Bark  reddish  brown,  with  orange 
tinge,  deeply  furrowed  into  scaly  plates.  Wood  heavy,  strong, 
yellowish  brown,  durable,  very  hard,  tough,  best  of  all  pine 
lumber,  used  for  heavy  construction  work  of  all  kinds,  for 
interior  finish  and  flooring,  fuel  and  charcoal.  Resin  supplies 
turpentine  and  other  “naval  stores.”  Leaves  8 to  18  inches 
long,  dark  green,  in  crowded  tufts  on  ends  of  branches,  3 in 
each  sheath  of  silvery,  long  scales,  flexible,  pendent,  persis- 
tent 2 years.  Flowers  profuse,  purplish:  stamina te  clusters 
crowded  near  end  of  twig;  pistillate  2 to  4 cones  in  short- 
stalked  clusters  below  growing  tip,  scales  thin,  broad.  Fruits 
tapering  cones,  slightly  curved,  8 to  10  inches  long,  brown,  the 
scales  set  with  small,  reflexed  prickles;  seeds  triangular,  J inch 
long,  with  long  wing  and  a prominent  ridge.  Dist.:  Virginia 
to  Florida  and  Mississippi  River  in  a belt  125  miles  wide 
skirting  the  coast.  Isolated  forests  in  Alabama,  Louisiana, 
and  Texas. 


Pitch  Pine  ( Pinus  rigida.  Mill.).  50  to  75  feet.  Irreg- 
ular, loose-headed  tree,  with  short  trunk  and  gnarled  limbs. 
Bark  thick,  dark  purplish  red,  with  wide,  scaly  plates  between 
deep,  irregular  fissures;  limbs  rough,  twigs  green,  becoming 
orange.  Wood  brittle,  soft,  pale  red,  coarse-grained,  used  for 
charcoal  and  fuel,  rarely  for  lumber.  Leaves  in  3’s,  stiff,  dark 
green,  3 to  5 inches  long,  standing  out  from  stem,  in  black, 
persistent  sheaths.  Deciduous  during  second  year.  Flowers 
clustered,  short-stemmed,  staminate  yellow  spikes;  pistillate 
pale  green  with  rose  tinge.  Fruit  ripe  after  two  seasons,  sol- 
itary or  clustered,  ovate  cones,  brown,  1 to  3 inches  long,  with 
recurved  prickles  on  the  flat  scales.  Persistent  many  years, 
often  swallowed  up  in  the  wood.  Dist.:  New  Brunswick  to 
Georgia;  west  to  Ontario  and  Kentucky. 


Cuban  Pine;  Swamp  Pine  ( Pinus  Caribaa,  Morelet). 
80  to  120  feet.  Tall,  tapering  trunk  and  dense,  round  head  of 
heavy  limbs.  Bark  brown,  scaly,  showing  orange  in  the  fur- 
rows between  broad  plates.  Wood  heavy,  very  hard,  resin- 
ous, coarse,  dark  orange  with  pale,  thick  sapwood.  Yields 
turpentine.  Uses  of  wood  same  as  longleaf  pine.  Leaves 
in  2’s  and  3’s,  stout,  dark  green,  8 to  12  inches  long,  in  thin, 
brown  sheaths,  and  persistent  2 years.  Flowers  in  January: 
staminate  in  curved,  purplish  spikes,  crowded  near  tips  of 
twigs;  pistillate  oval  cones,  clustered,  pinkish,  in  3’s,  \ inch 
long.  Fruits  tapering  cones,  3 to  6 inches  long,  red-brown, 
the  thin  scales  armed  with  small,  curved  prickles;  seeds 
mottled,  winged.  Dist. : Coast  plain,  South  Carolina  to  Florida 
and  Louisiana;  also  Bahamas  and  the  Antilles,  Central 
America. 


I 


Shortleaf  Pine;  Yellow  Pine  ( Pinus  echinata , Mill.). 
80  to  120  feet.  Slender-trunked  tree  with  round  or  pyramidal 
head.  Bark  thick,  checked  into  cinnamon-red,  scaly  plates. 
Wood  orange  or  brown,  with  pale  sap  wood,  coarse,  heavy, 
durable,  strong,  used  for  lumber.  Sap  yields  turpentine. 
Leaves  blue-green,  3 to  5 inches  long,  in  2’s  and  3’s,  subtended 
by  close  sheath  of  long,  silvery  scales.  Flowers  sub-terminal, 
crowded,  purplish:  staminate  orange-brown  at  first,  with 
abundant  pollen;  pistillate  on  opposite,  short  stems,  greenish 
at  first.  Fruits  oblong-conical,  often  curved,  clustered,  about 
2 inches  long,  scales  with  curved  prickles,  soon  shed.  Dist.: 
Connecticut  to  Florida:  west  to  Illinois,  Kansas,  and  Texas. 


7 


Red  Pine;  Norway  Pine  ( Pinus  resinosa.  Ait.).  75  to 
140  feet.  Tall,  straight  tree,  with  broad,  pyramidal  head 
often  branched  to  the  ground.  Bark  reddish,  with  shallow 
fissures  and  broad  ridges.  Wood  red,  light,  hard,  cl 
grained,  used  in  building  houses,  bridges,  and  ships.  Leaves 
i in  each  close  sheath,  5 to  6 inches  long,  flexible,  soft,  dark 
green,  with  a row  of  pale  dots;  fall  during  fourth  or  fifth  year. 
Flowers  staminate  in  purple  spikes,  near  tip  of  shoot;  pistillate 
red,  in  3’s  on  end  of  twig.  Fruits  ovate  cones,  1 to  3 inches 
long,  brown,  shining,  without  prickles,  shedding  seeds  early 
in  the  second  autumn.  Cones  persist.  Dist.:  Southern  Can- 
ada and  Northern  States,  from  Maine  to  Minnesota;  south 
to  Massachusetts  and  Pennsylvania.  Preferred  habitat- 
light,  sandy  soil  and  rocky  ridges.  Handsomest  pitch  pine 
for  parks  and  home  grounds  in  Northern  States. 


$ 


Sand  Pine;  Spruce  Pine  ( Pinus  clausa , Sarg.).  15  to 
20  feet,  rarely  to  80  feet.  Flat-topped,  bushy  tree  clothed 
tc  Vhe  ground  with  slender  branches.  Bark  red,  scaly,  on 
blanches  ashy  gray.  Wood  pale  orange,  light,  brittle,  soft, 
used  for  masts  of  boats.  Leaves  dark  green,  2 to  3^  inches 
long,  2 in  each  sheath,  shed  during  third  and  fourth  years. 
Flowers  staminate,  crowded  spikes,  orange  color;  pistillate  in 
lateral  clusters.  Fruits  reflexed,  2 to  3j  inches  long,  reddish 
brown,  set  with  prickles,  often  remaining  closed  for  years 
after  maturity,  and  turning  gray.  The  growing  branches 
engulf  these  in  the  wood.  Dist.:  Mexican  Gulf  coast  from 
Alabama  to  Florida;  east  coast  of  Florida,  in  a narrow  strip, 
on  sandy,  low  plain. 


P 


Loblolly  Pine;  Old-field  Pine  ( Pinus  Tceda,  Linn.). 
80  to  100  feet.  Tall,  deep-rooted  tree,  narrowly  pyramidal,  of 
very  quick  growth.  Bark  bright  reddish  brown,  scaly,  with 
broad  ridges.  Branchlets  yellow-brown.  Wood  soft,  weak, 
very  resinous,  coarse-grained,  brown,  used  in  building  ships, 
docks,  cars,  and  houses.  Excellent  fuel.  Leaves  in  3’s, 
slender,  stiff,  twisted,  pale  green,  glaucous,  falling  during 
their  third  season;  length,  6 to  9 inches.  Thin  basal  sheath 
close.  Flowers  March- April;  staminate  in  crowded  spikes, 
yellow,  with  abundant  pollen:  pistillate  lateral,  1 to  3 oval, 
scaly  cones,  below  tip  of  new  shoot.  Fruit  ovate-oblong  cone, 
3 to  5 inches  long,  reddish  brown,  with  thin  scales  bearing 
short,  stout  spines;  seed  triangular,  with  long,  thin,  shining 
wing;  2 under  each  scale,  shed  irregularly;  empty  cones  per- 
sisting another  year.  Dist. : New  Jersey  to  Florida  and  Texas 
following  the  coast;  inland  from  the  Carolinas  to  Arkansas 
and  Louisiana. 


\ 0 


Pond  Pine;  Marsh  Pine  ( Pinus  serotina , Michx.).  40  to 
SO  feet.  Open-headed,  water-loving  tree,  with  stout,  gnarled 
branches,  orange  when  young,  becoming  dark  brown.  Trunk 
with  red-brown  bark,  thin,  scaly,  with  fissures  wide  apart. 
Wood  heavy,  resinous,  soft,  dark  orange,  yielding  some  tur- 
pentine and  lumber  in  North  Carolina.  Leaves  in  bundles  of 
3’s  (rarely  4’s),  dark  yellow-green,  6 to  8 inches  long,  falling 
in  the  third  or  fourth  year.  Flowers  staminate  in  orange- 
colored  spikes;  pistillate  in  paired  cones,  on  short  stems. 
Fruit  nearly  globular  or  oblong,  2 inches  long,  with  thin, 
nearly  flat  scales  armed  with  slender,  incurved  prickles,  which 
are  shed.  Cones  hang  long  after  ripe.  Dist.:  Low  land 
from  North  Carolina  to  the  St.  John’s  River,  Florida,  usually 
growing  with  the  longleaf  pine. 


11 


Spruce  Pine;  Cedar  Pine  ( Pinus  glabra , Walt.).  80  to 
120  feet.  Tall  tree  with  narrow  head  of  short,  irregular 
branches.  Bark  thin,  reddish,  scaly,  with  broad  plates  and 
shallow  fissures.  Wood  pale,  soft,  weak,  close-grained,  little 
used,  except  for  fuel.  Leaves  2 in  a sheath,  1^  to  3 inches 
long,  dark  green,  slender,  flexible,  shed  during  second  and 
third  seasons.  Flowers  staminate  in  short,  crowded,  yellow 
clusters;  pistillate  cones,  2 or  3 on  recurved  stems.  Fruits 
solitary  or  few  in  a cluster,  reddish  brown,  shining,  ^ to  2 
inches  long,  stout,  with  weak  prickles,  soon  shed.  Dist.; 
South  Carolina  to  Louisiana,  in  lowlands. 


12 


Jersey  Pine;  Scrub  Pine  ( Vinus  Virginiana , Mill.)-  30 
to  40  feet.  Loose,  flat-topped,  broadly  pyramidal  tree,  with 
drooping  branches.  Bark  reddish  brown,  in  irregular,  scaly, 
thin  plates.  Wood  coarse-grained,  brittle,  pale  orange  to 
white,  soft,  weak,  but  durable  in  soil;  used  for  fuel,  rarely 
for  lumber,  pumps,  water  pipes,  and  fencing.  Leaves  in  2’s, 
stout,  gray-green,  scattered  on  the  twigs,  lj  to  3 inches  long, 
persistent  3 or  4 years.  Flowers  staminate  orange-brown, 
crowded;  pistillate  solitary  cones,  green,  tinged  with  rose,  set 
opposite  on  short  stalks,  near  middle  of  the  new  shoot.  Fruits 
oblong-conical,  often  curved,  with  red,  spined  scales  and  per- 
sistent 3 or  4 years  on  the  branches.  Dist.:  Long  Island, 
New  York,  to  southern  Indiana,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee; 
New  Jersey  and  south  along  coast  to  Georgia.  Light  sandy 
soil,  of  “pine  barrens”  it  forms  forests. 


13 


Gray  Pine;  Jack  Pine;  Scrub  Pine  ( Pinus  divaricata , I>* 
Mont  de  Cours).  40  to  70  feet.  Tall  tree  with  open,  synu 
metrical  head,  or  crouching,  sprawling  habit;  branches  long, 
spreading,  made  ragged  by  the  clumps  of  old  cones,  and  shed- 
ding, rusty  foliage.  Bark  rough,  thin,  reddish.  Wood  light, 
orange  or  pale  brown  to  white,  weak,  close-grained,  used  for 
canoe  frames  by  Indians,  for  railroad  ties  and  fuel.  Leaves 
rarely  2 inches  long,  in  2’s,  the  bundles  scattered,  yellowish 
green,  becoming  dark  and  rusty  gray,  falling  irregularly  for 
several  years.  Flowers  staminate  pale  yellow  spikes,  crowded; 
pistillate  clustered,  dark  purple  cones,  on  new  growth.  Fruits 
tapering,  curved,  without  stems,  erect,  purple,  becoming  yel- 
low, shining,  with  minute  prickles.  Dist.:  Northern  Canada 
to  middle  of  northern  tier  of  states,  and  west  to  the  Athabasca 
River.  Forests  of  it  cover  barren  plains  in  Michigan  and  in 
the  far  North. 


14 


Tamarack;  Larch  ( Larix  Americana , Michx.).  50  to  60 
feet.  Slender,  regularly  pyramidal  tree,  with  weak,  horizon- 
tal branches.  Bark  thin,  broken  into  reddish-brown  scales. 
Wood  heavy,  hard,  brown,  durable  in  soil,  resinous,  used  for 
telegraph  poles,  ties,  ships’  timbers,  and  for  fuel.  Leaves  nar- 
row, about  1 inch  long,  keeled  below,  clustered  on  knob-like 
side  spurs,  scattered  on  end  shoots,  turning  yellow,  deciduous 
in  early  autumn.  Flowers  monoecious;  staminate  in  squat, 
yellow  knobs;  pistillate  in  erect,  oval  cones,  purplish  pink, 
with  finger-like  bracts;  both  scattered  along  last  season’s 
shoots,  along  with  fascicles  of  new  leaves.  Fruits  brown,  oval 
cones,  of  few  thin,  broad,  unarmed  scales;  seeds  winged,  shed 
during  second  season.  Dist.:  Swamps  and  mountain  slopes, 
Newfoundland  to  Rocky  Mountains;  south  into  Minnesota, 
Illinois,  Indiana,  and  Pennsylvania. 


15 


Black  Spruce  ( Picea  Mariana , B.  S.  & P.).  20  to  5L 

feet;  rarely  to  100  feet.  Pyramidal  evergreen,  with  drooping 
branches  that  curve  upward.  Bark  brownish  gray,  thin, 
scaly.  Twigs  downy,  wood  yellow,  soft,  weak,  used  for  wood 
pulp  and  fuel.  Leaves  blue-green,  4-sided,  stiff,  sharp,  curved, 
with  pale  bloom  above,  J to  f of  an  inch  long;  single 
in  close,  spiral  around  twig.  Flowers  staminate  in  globulai 
ccne-like  spikes,  lateral,  solitary;  pistillate  oblong,  cone-like, 
with  broad,  notched,  purple  scales.  Fruits  brown,  thin-scaled, 
persistent,  solitary,  pendant  cones,  \ to  lj  inches  long;  seeds 
winged.  Dist.:  Northern  Canada  to  Alaska;  south  to  Vir- 
ginia, Pennsylvania,  and  Wisconsin.  Sap  yields  spruce  gum 
and  spruce  beer. 


1ft 


Red  Spruce  (Picea  rubens,  Sarg.).  70  to  100  feet.  Pyra- 
midal or  conical  tree,  with  long-persistent  lower  branches. 
Bark  thin,  scaly,  reddish  brown;  branches  scaly;  twigs  stout, 
downy,  and  green,  becoming  smooth  and  bright  red  the  second 
year.  Wood  light,  soft,  close-grained,  pale  red,  used  for 
lumber  and  paper  pulp.  Leaves  dark,  yellow-green,  shining, 
4-sided,  curved,  sharp,  less  than  an  inch  long,  in  spiral  line, 
or  horny  projections  of  twig.  Flowers  staminate  spikes  oval, 
solitary,  lateral,  scarlet;  pistillate  oblong  cones,  purplish,  with 
rounded,  reflexed  scales,  separated  by  fringed  or  notched 
bracts.  Fruits  oblong-ovate,  1 to  2 inches  long,  purplish  to 
brownish  red,  pendant,  on  stalks,  opening  in  fall,  and  shed 
with  the  winged  seeds.  Dist.:  New  England  and  following 
the  mountains  to  North  Carolina. 


17 


White  Spruce  ( Picea  Canadensis , B.  S.  & P.).  60  to 

150  feet.  Broadly  pyramidal,  open  head  of  wide-spreading, 
stout  branches,  with  upward-sweeping  ends,  smooth,  orange- 
brown,  becoming  gray.  Bark  thin,  pale  gray,  scaly,  turning 
brownish.  Wood  light,  soft,  yellow,  weak,  straight-grained, 
used  for  lumber  and  wood  pulp.  Leaves  4-sided,  pea  green 
(silvery  at  first),  ^ to  J inch  long,  twisted  to  spread  on  upper 
side  of  twig.  Flowers  in  solitary,  cone-like  clusters,  pale 
red,  turning  yellow.  Fruits  cylindrical,  blunt  cones,  stalked, 
about  2 inches  long,  with  thin,  blunt,  or  notched  scales,  falling 
soon  after  seeds.  Dist.:  Northern  Canada  and  Alaska,  south 
to  northern  tier  of  states. 


18 


Hemlock  ( Tsuga  Canadensis , Carr.).  60  to  100  feet. 
Tapering,  pyramidal  tree,  with  slender,  horizontal  branches, 
drooping,  and  ending  in  feathery  spray.  Bark  thin,  scaly, 
cinnamon-red  to  gray.  Wood  light,  soft,  coarse-grained, 
reddish  brown,  used  in  building,  and  for  railroad  ties.  Bark 
used  in  tanning  leather,  and  dyeing.  Leaves  § to  | inch  long, 
flat,  blunt  or  notched  at  tip,  pale  and  ridged  beneath,  shining, 
dark  green  above,  on  minute  petioles,  spiral  on  twig,  but 
twisted  to  seem  2-ranked,  falling  off  the  third  season,  leaving 
bare  twigs  rough  with  persistent,  horny  leaf-bases.  Flowers 
in  May:  staminate  globular,  lateral,  solitary;  pistillate  con- 
ical, terminal,  purple,  with  thin  scales  overlapping.  Fruits 
pendent,  brown,  thin-scaled  cones,  on  downy  stalks,  opening 
during  the  first  winter,  letting  fall  the  winged  seeds.  Dist.: 
Nova  Scotia  to  southern  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  Minnesota; 
south  along  mountains  to  Alabama.  Favorite  ornamental 
tree. 


T9 


Carolina  Hemlock  ( Tsuga  Caroliniana , Engelin).  40 
to  70  feet.  Compact,  pyramidal  tree,  with  pendulous,  grace- 
ful branches.  Bark  red-brown,  thick,  checked  into  irregu- 
lar plates  by  deep  clefts;  branches  brown;  twigs  orange,  pubes- 
cent. Wood  pale  brown,  brittle,  coarse-grained,  weak;  used 
locally  for  fuel;  planted  as  a park  tree.  Leaves  dark  green, 
lustrous  above,  whitish  beneath,  grooved,  curved,  i to  | inch 
long,  blunt  or  notched  at  tip,  twisted  to  appear  2-ranked  on 
twigs.  Flowers  solitary,  purplish,  in  early  spring;  stamina te 
globular,  minute;  pistillate  oblong,  with  broad  scales  and 
bracts.  Fruit  pendent,  brown,  thin-scaled  cones,  1 to  1^ 
inches  long,  stalked,  scales  spreading  widely  to  discharge  the 
winged  seeds  in  winter.  Dist.:  Rocky  banks  of  streams  in 
mountain  districts  from  Virginia  to  Georgia,  forming  groves 
Excellent  ornamental  tree,  hardy  in  New  England. 


20 


Balsam  Fir  ( Abies  balsamea , Mill.).  50  to  60  feet. 
Broadly  pyramidal  tree,  with  stiff  limbs  and  slender,  pubes- 
cent twigs.  Bark  thin,  brown,  broken  into  shiny  plates, 
with  blisters  of  white,  dried,  or  sticky  balsam.  Clear  drops 
of  balsam  from  ruptured  pockets  in  the  bark  occur  on  branches. 
The  “Canada  balsam”  of  the  useful  arts.  Wood  soft,  weak, 
coarse,  brownish,  not  durable,  used  for  packing  cases.  Leaves 
dark  green,  lustrous  above,  white  linings,  stiff,  blunt,  2-ranked, 
J to  1|  inches  long,  aromatic,  cut  for  pillows.  Flowers  lat- 
eral, purplish;  stamina te  tinged  yellow  by  the  anthers,  minute, 
button-like;  pistillate  with  round  scales  and  toothed  bracts. 
Fruit  erect  cones,  purple,  2 to  4 inches  long,  blunt,  with  broad, 
plain  scales,  that  fall  away  from  the  axis,  revealing  the  short 
bracts,  and  liberating  the  winged  seeds.  Dist.:  Labrador 
through  Canada  to  Minnesota;  New  England  and  along  high- 
lands to  southwestern  Virginia. 


9i\ 


Balsam  Fir;  She  Balsam  ( Abies  Fraseri,  Poir).  40  to 
60  feet.  Open,  pyramidal  tree,  with  stiff,  horizontal  branches, 
ending  in  stout,  yellowish-brown,  fuzzy  twigs,  with  crowded, 
shining  foliage.  Bark  cinnamon-red,  thin,  scaly,  at  length 
becoming  gray.  Wood  coarse-grained,  pale  brown,  weak, 
soft,  used  locally  for  lumber.  Leaves  dark  green,  lustrous 
above,  pale  beneath,  J to  1 inch  long,  narrow,  flat,  with  median 
groove  above,  curved  and  twisted  to  appear  2-ranked  on  the 
twig;  tips  blunt  or  notched.  Flowers  cone  clusters;  stami- 
nate  yellow,  with  red  anthers;  pistillate  erect  on  upper  side  of 
twig,  with  broad  green  scales,  each  over  a yellow-green,  finger- 
tipped  bract  that  stands  out  from  it.  Fruit  erect  oval  cones., 
about  inches  long,  the  toothed  bracts,  yellowish  green, 
turning  back  over  the  plain  purple  scales;  seeds  winged,  falling 
with  the  scales  and  bracts,  leaving  the  axis  of  the  cone,  which 
is  tardy  in  falling  off.  Dist.:  In  forests  4,000  to  6,000  feet 
elevation  in  Appalachian  Mountains,  southwestern  Virginia, 
eastern  Tennessee,  and  western  North  Carolina. 


22 


Arbor  Vit^e;  White  Cedar  ( Thuya  occidentalism  Linn.).  25 
to  60  feet.  Compact,  narrow,  pyramidal  tree,  with  trunk  often  di- 
viding into  2 or  3 erect,  secondary  stems  above  the  short,  often 
ridged  and  buttressed  trunk.  Twigs  flattened  into  frond-like 
spray.  Bark  brown,  thin,  splitting  into  frayed-out,  stringy  strips. 
Wood  light,  soft,  brittle,  yellowish  brown,  coarse,  durable, 
used  for  posts,  telegraph  poles,  railroad  ties,  and  shingles. 
Leaves  minute,  scale-like,  4-ranked,  close,  covering  the  twig 
by  the  overlapping  of  alternate  keeled  and  flat  pairs.  Aro- 
matic. Flowers  May,  purplish,  on  tips  of  side  twigs;  staminate 
in  globose  stamen  clusters,  very  small;  pistillate  on  different 
branches,  larger,  cones  of  8 to  12  scales,  spreading,  red.  Fruit 
annual,  pale  brown,  erect  cones,  of  few,  plain  scales,  the  middle 
ones  largest  and  fertile,  each  with  2 winged  seeds.  Dist.: 
Wet  ground;  New  Brunswick  to  Manitoba  and  adjoining- 
states  to  the  south;  Atlantic  States  into  New  Jersey;  along 
Allegheny  Mountains,  North  Carolina,  and  Tennessee.  Cul- 
tivated in  many  varieties  as  a hedge  and  ornamental  tree. 


28 


White  Cedar  ( Chamoecyparis  thyoides , Britt).  40  to  80 
feet.  Narrow,  pyramidal  tree  with  short  branches,  ehding 
in  fan-like  spray  of  2-ranked,  flat  twigs,  covered  with  the  blue- 
green  foliage.  Bark  thin,  reddish,  shallowly  fissured  into 
stringy  ridges,  often  spirally  twisted  around  the  trunk.  Wood 
pale  reddish-brown,  soft,  light,  aromatic,  close-grained,  used 
in  boat-building,  interior  finish  of  houses,  shingles,  wooden 
wares,  cooperage,  posts,  ties.  Leaves  minute,  paired,  keeled 
and  pointed,  or  flat  and  blunt,  appressed  to  cover  twigs,  and 
form  flat  spray,  as  in  arbor  vitae.  Flowers  April;  staminate 
abundant,  red  or  yellow,  globular;  pistillate  few,  greenish, 
oblong,  usually  of  6 shield-shaped,  fertile  scales  with  2 to  5 
bottle-shaped  ovules  at  the  base  of  each.  Fruit  a cone,  small, 
spherical,  of  thickened,  peltate  scales,  pea  green,  becoming 
brown;  seeds  1 to  2 under  each  scale,  winged.  Dist. : Swampy 
land  near  coast;  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  to  Mississippi. 
Planted  as  an  ornamental  tree,  but  not  commonly. 


24 


Bald  Cypress;  Deciduous  Cypress  ( Taxodium  distichum 
Rich).  75  to  150  feet.  Tall,  pyramidal  tree  with  wide-spread- 
ing, pendulous  lower  branches,  becoming  round-headed  when 
aged.  Trunk  lobed  and  flaring  into  buttresses  at  base,  which 
is  usually  hollow.  Roots  stout,  horizontal,  bending  upward 
to  form  woody,  angular  “knees.”  Bark  pale  reddish  gray, 
nearly  white  on  young  trees  and  branches;  twigs  reddish,  at 
first  pale  green.  Wood  soft,  light,  brown,  easy  to  work,  dur- 
able, used  for  construction,  posts,  ties,  cooperage,  shingles, 
doors,  and  fencing.  Leaves  deciduous  with  the  branchlets 
that  bear  them,  2-ranked,  spreading,  bright  yellow-green, 
often  pale  beneath;  on  pendulous  branchlets,  closely  appressed, 
keeled,  scale-like.  Flowers  small;  staminate  in  loose  panicles, 
drooping,  showy;  pistillate  button-like,  scattered  near  ends 
of  last  year’s  growth,  scaly,  purplish.  Fruit  woody,  globular 
cones,  1 inch  in  diameter,  in  pairs  or  solitary.  Dist.:  Coast 
or  river  swamps,  Delaware  to  Florida,  west  to  Texas;  Illinois 
and  Indiana  to  me  Gulf,  along  the  Mississippi  River.  Fine 
park  tree. 


25 


Red  Juniper;  Red  Cedar;  Savin  { Juniperus  Virginian a, 
Linn.).  Shrub  to  100  feet.  Narrow,  compact,  pyramidal  tree, 
becoming  loose  and  irregular  when  old.  Bark  thin,  red, 
stringy,  deeply  corrugated  and  buttressed  at  base.  Wood 
close-grained,  weak,  red,  fragrant,  brittle,  used  for  pencils, 
moth-proof  chests  and  cupboards,  railroad  ties,  and  posts. 
Leaves  opposite,  blue-green,  evergreen,  of  two  types : on  young 
shoots,  scattered,  or  2-ranked,  long-pointed,  yellow-green, 
white-lined,  at  right  angles  with  twig,  i to  f inch  long;  on 
older  twigs,  minute,  paired,  scale-like,  closely  appressed  to  the 
stem.  Rusty  brown  in  winter.  Persistent  many  years. 
Flowers  scaly,  cone-like  clusters,  at  ends  of  short  twigs. 
Staminate  of  few  scales,  each  with  several  pollen  sacs  under- 
neath; pistillate  of  violet,  fleshy  scales  with  2 ovules  under 
each;  rarely  both  kinds  on  same  tree.  Fruit  a modified  cone, 
becoming  a fleshy,  sweet,  resinous,  blue  berry,  the  size  of  a 
pea.  Borne  in  profusion.  Dist.:  Gravelly,  dry  situations  in 
eastern  North  America,  and  to  the  foothills  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  often  in  forests;  best  in  peaty  swamps  of  lower 
Mississippi  Valley. 

26 


Dwarf  Juniper  (Juniperus  communis,  Linn.).  5 to  30  feet. 
Sprawling  shrub,  or,  rarely,  a small  tree,  with  irregular,  lobed 
trunk,  and  open  head  of  uneven,  erect  branches,  ending  in 
slim,  3-angled  twigs.  Bark  thin,  loose,  scaly,  brownish  red. 
Wood  hard,  close,  pale  brown,  durable.  Leaves  set  in  whorls 
of  3 at  wide  angle  from  twig,  boat-shaped,  the  white  lining 
being  the  upper,  the  shining,  dark  green  outside,  the  lower 
surface;  tips  spiny;  ^ to  \ inch  long;  bronze-green  in  winter. 
Flowers  axillary,  separate  on  same  tree,  both  kinds  cone-like. 
Fruit  a blue  berry,  with  pale  bloom,  ripe  at  end  of  third  sum- 
mer, mealy,  sweet,  resinous,  with  3 seeds.  Used  to  flavor  gin. 
Dist.:  Waste  land,  Greenland  to  Alaskan  coast;  south  to 
Pennsylvania,  Nebraska,  and  along  the  Rocky  Mountains 
:nto  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Texas. 


27 


Ginkgo;  Maidenhair  Tree  ( Salisburia  adiantifolia) . 25 

to  50  feet.  A tall,  tapering,  pyramidal  tree,  with  central  trunk 
and  short  side  branches,  much  planted  as  an  ornamental  and 
street  tree  in  Eastern  cities,  notably  Washington,  D.  C.  The 
leaves,  clustered  on  very  short  side  twigs,  have  the  shape  of  the 
maidenhair  fern’s,  and  similar  venation.  The  blade  spreads 
out  like  a fan,  from  the  short  petiole,  and  there  is  usually  one 
deep  slit  that  parts  the  green  expanse.  Unbranched  veins 
radiate  from  the  petiole  to  the  margin.  Leathery  and  dark 
green,  the  leaves  gradually  turn  yellow  and  fall.  The  fruit 
is  a fleshy,  oily,  soft  drupe,  like  a plum,  whose  pit  is  roasted 
and  used  as  salted  almonds  are,  by  Chinese,  who  know  the  tree 
as  a native  of  their  country. 


28 


THE  PALMS  AND  THE  PALMETTOS 


The  Palm  Family  is  a large  group  of  tropical  flowering 
plants,  related  to  lilies  on  one  side  and  grasses  on  the  other. 
Like  both  of  these,  palms  have  but  one  cotyledon  (seed  leaf) 
in  the  embryo,  and  the  stem  is  composed  of  a hardened  outer 
layer  within  which  is  a mass  of  felt-like  tissue  in  which  longi- 
tudinal bundles  of  tough  wood  cells  are  irregularly  distributed. 
Growth  is  internal,  about  these  bundles  as  centres  — not  ex- 
ternal, from  a cambium.  The  parts  of  the  flowers  are  regularly 
in  3’s,  as  in  the  lilies.  The  leaves  are  parallel- veined,  and  they 
sheathe  the  stem,  as  in  the  grasses.  They  are  fan  shaped  or 
feather  shaped. 


29 


Cabbage  Palmetto;  Cabbage  Tree  ( Sabal  Patmetto,  R. 
& S.).  20  to  40  feet.  Stout  trunk  crowned  with  leaves  that 

form  a round  head.  Bark  broken  into  irregular  plates  by 
shallow  fissures.  Wood  light,  soft,  pale  brown,  with  hard, 
tough,  fibro- vascular  bundles;  rind  thick,  of  lighter,  more  por- 
ous texture  than  the  heart  wood.  Leaves  5 to  6 feet  long,  7 to 
8 feet  broad,  on  stems  6 to  7 feet  long,  and  1|  inches  wide  at 
apex.  Petiole  widening  to  base,  hollowed  to  fit  stem,  split 
by  the  enlargement  of  the  trunk,  around  which  they  are 
sheathed  in  an  interlaced  pattern  like  basketwork.  Leaf 
blades  of  many  narrow,  pointed  segments,  split  apart  below 
the  middle  of  the  blade,  folded  double,  frayed  out  «in  threads 
toward  tip.  New  leaves  constantly  developed  from  the  cen- 
tral bud  of  the  stem,  and  oldest  ones  become  pendant  and  die, 
leaving  the  trunk  smooth,  by  the  detachment  of  the  split 
petiole  bases.  Flowers  in  June,  on  branched  stalk  2 to  feet 
long,  from  sheath  of  protecting  scales,  set  in  axils  of  leaves. 
Individual  flowers  perfect,  tubular,  crowded  on  branches  of 
the  stalk.  Ovary  3-celled.  Fruit  few,  globular,  dark-colored, 
3-lobed,  dry-fleshed,  sweet  berries,  in  early  fall;  seeds  soli- 
tary, brown,  almost  as  large  as  the  pea-sized  berry.  Dist.: 
Sandy  soil  near  coast  from  North  Carolina  to  the  Florida 
30 


Keys;  following  up  the  Gulf  coast  to  the  Appalachicola  River. 
Leaves  used  for  thatching  houses,  and  in  basketry.  Stems 
yield  fibre  for  brushes.  Trunks  used  for  piles  in  wharfing, 
canes,  and  other  articles.  Heart  bud  eaten  boiled  or  as  a 
salad.  Planted  as  an  ornamental  and  street  tree  in  the  South. 

Royal  Palm  ( Roystonea  regia , Cook).  80  to  100  feet.  Tall 
trunk,  tapering  both  ways  from  the  middle,  abruptly  enlarged 
at  base,  and  crowned  with  an  abundant  mass  of  foliage.  Bark 
smooth,  pale  gray,  tinged  with  orange,  marked  with  dark 
blotches;  greenish  toward  the  top.  Wood  pale  brown,  spongy 
inside  the  dark,  hard-fibred  rind.  Used  for  piles  of  wharves. 
Rind  cut  into  canes.  Leaves  10  to  12  feet  long,  feather-like, 
the  narrow  divisions  2 to  3 feet  long,  dark  green,  tapering  to 
hairy  fringed  tips.  Flowers  monoecious,  in  3-flowered  clusters, 
on  branched  stalk  about  2 feet  long,  that  rise  below  the  base 
of  the  leafy  crown;  January  and  February;  staminate  larger 
than  pistillate.  Fruit  blue,  elongate,  berry-like,  ^ inch  long, 
with  single,  large  seed.  Dist.:  Shores  and  hummock  land  in 
river  swamps  of  southern  Florida.  Common  in  West  Indies 
and  Central  America.  Much  planted  on  avenues  in  tropical 
cities;  also  as  an  ornamental  in  parks  and  private  grounds. 

31 


THE  YUCCAS 

The  traveler  who  is  a close  observer  of  trees  will  be  aston- 
ished to  find  the  lily  family  well  represented  in  our  Southern 
silva.  Now,  a lily  is  formed  by  the  rule  of  three,  as  shown  in 
the  flower  and  in  the  seed  pod.  It  has  parallel- veined  leaves 
and  a stem  with  bundles  of  fibres  distributed  through  its  softer 
substance,  much  like  the  stems  of  corn  or  bamboo. 

The  yuccas  are  our  arborescent  lilies.  There  are  nine 
species  that  attain  the  form  and  stature  of  trees.  They  are 
beautiful  flowering  trees,  especially  prized  in  countries  of 
scant  rainfall.  They  are  planted  for  hedges.  The  fibrous 
leaves  furnish  material  for  ropes,  mattings,  and  baskets.  The 
fleshy  roots  are  used  as  a substitute  for  soap. 


32 


Spanish  Bayonet  ( Yucca  aloifolia , Linn.).  10  to  25  feet. 
Low,  usually  erect  tree,  with  short  trunk  breaking  into  several 
branches  of  equal  size.  Bark  dark,  thick,  corky.  Wood  light, 
fibrous,  in  concentric  layers.  Leaves  with  base  widening  into 
a crescent,  and  bayonet-shaped  blade,  smooth,  dark  green, 
saw-toothed  on  margins,  sharp  and  stiff  at  point.  Long  per- 
sistent. Flowers  lily-like,  in  panicles,  white,  tinged  with  pur- 
ple, leathery,  June  till  August,  3 to  4 inches  across  when  ex- 
panded. Fruit  August  to  October;  soft,  green,  cucumber-like, 
turning  purple,  bitter-sweet,  edible,  3 to  4 inches  long.  Dist. : 
Sand  dunes  along  coast,  North  Carolina  to  Louisiana.  A 
very  common  garden  plant  in  warm  and  temperate  countries, 
prized  for  its  showy  flowers  and  foliage,  and  its  thriving  with 
scant  rainfall. 


33 


THE  WALNUTS  AND  THE  HICKORIES 


Resinous,  aromatic  trees  with  hard  wood.  Leaves  decidu- 
ous, alternate,  pinna tely  compound.  Flowers  monoecious: 
stamina te  lateral,  in  catkins;  pistillate  terminal,  in  spikes,  or 
solitary.  Fruit,  a bony  nut  enclosed  in  a spongy  husk. 

KEY  TO  GENERA 

A.  Pith  of  twigs  chambered;  husk  not  opening  at  ma- 
turity; nuts  not  smooth. 

1.  Genus  JUGLANS,  Linn. 

A A.  Pith  of  twigs  solid;  husk  opening  by  4 valves;  nuts 
smooth. 

2.  Genus  HICORIA,  Raf. 


34 


Butternut;  White  Walnut;  Oil  Nut  ( Juglans  drier ea , 
Linn.).  50  to  75  feet.  Short- trunked,  spreading,  irregular 
tree,  with  round  dome.  Bark  rough,  gray,  paler  in  furrows 
that  are  broader  than  the  ridges.  Twigs  clammy,  pubescent 
with  chambered  pith.  Buds  often  one  above  another  in 
axils,  downy.  Wood  light  brown,  soft,  coarse,  with  satiny 
lustre  when  polished.  Used  for  cabinet-work  and  interior 
finish  of  houses.  Leaves  alternate,  compound,  of  11  to  19 
leaflets,  along  the  stalk  15  to  30  inches  long;  aromatic, 
clammy,  pubescent;  leaflets  yellow-green,  saw-toothed,  ses- 
sile, pointed.  Yellow  in  autumn.  Flowers  May;  staminate 
in  long,  yellowish  catkins;  pistillate  in  racemes,  clammy,  each 
with  2 red,  spreading  stigmas.  Fruit  October,  few  in  cluster, 
oblong,  clammy,  pubescent,  pointed,  2 to  3 inches  long;  shell 
deeply  sculptured;  kernel  oily,  sweet,  edible.  Dist.:  Rich 
loam  or  well-drained  uplands,  New  Brunswick  to  Delaware; 
along  mountains  to  Georgia  and  Alabama;  west  through  On- 
tario to  Dakota,  and  south  through  the  Central  States  to  Ar- 
kansas. 


35 


Black  Walnut  ( Juglans  nigra , Linn.).  80  to  150  feet 
Tall,  majestic  tree  with  rounded  top,  comparatively  narrow, 
from  the  height  of  the  trunk  before  it  breaks  into  the  stiff, 
ascending  limbs;  twigs  stout,  velvety,  green  to  orange-brown, 
with  prominent,  3-lobed  leaf-scars,  below  the  winter  buds; 
pith  chambered;  aromatic  sap.  Bark  brown,  with  rounded 
ridges  covered  with  thin  scales.  Wood  purplish  brown,  fine- 
grained, lustrous,  heavy,  strong,  durable.  Used  for  veneering 
furniture,  interior  finish,  gun-stocks,  shipbuilding.  Leaves 
alternate,  12  to  24  inches  long,  of  13  to  25  finely  saw-toothed 
leaflets,  pubescent  beneath,  yellow-green,  turning  yellow  in 
autumn.  Flowers  greenish,  velvety,  in  May;  stamina te  cat- 
kins 3 to  6 inches  long;  pistillate  in  terminal,  few-flowered 
clusters.  Fruit  1 or  2 nuts,  globose,  deeply  sculptured,  in 
spongy,  aromatic,  pitted  husks.  Dist.:  Great  Lakes  to  Gulf; 
Atlantic  seaboard  to  Nebraska  and  Texas.  Superb  park  and 
street  tree.  Nuts  locally  sold. 


3fi 


Shagbark  Hickory;  Little  Shellbark  Hickory  ( Hie - 
tyria  ovata , Britt.).  75  to  120  feet.  Ruggedly  gnarled,  ob- 
long head  of  short  branches,  on  short,  straight  trunk,  with 
pale  bark  that  sheds  in  thin,  vertical  strips,  giving  a shaggy  ap- 
pearance. Wood  tough,  springy,  hard,  fit  for  axe  handles, 
wheels,  sled  runners,  splint  chairs,  farm  implements  and  ve- 
hicles. Best  fuel.  Buds  large  at  tips  of  twigs,  with  two  nar- 
row, black  scales  outside  of  pale,  silky  inner  ones,  that  lengthen 
greatly  when  the  shoots  start  in  spring.  Leaves  alternate, 
12  to  20  inches  long,  of  five  leathery,  pointed  leaflets,  basal 
pair  small,  on  wiry  petiole.  Autumn  color,  brownish  yellow. 
Flowers  with  new  leaves.  May;  staminate  catkins  profuse,  4 
to  6 inches  long,  3 on  each  stalk;  pistillate  solitary  or  few,  ter- 
minal, green,  with  forked  stigmas.  Fruit,  a nut  in  smooth, 
leathery  husk  that  splits  when  ripe,  liberating  the  flattened, 
4-angled  nut.  Kernel  sweet.  Dist.:  Maine  westward  to 
Minnesota  and  Nebraska;  south  to  Delaware,  and  along  the 
mountains  to  Florida,  Alabama,  and  Mississippi.  Preferred 
habitat,  rich,  deep,  moist  soil.  Ornamental  and  shade  tree  of 
high  rank.  Best  native  nut  tree. 


37 


North  Carolina  Shagbark  ( Hicoria  Carolince-septentri- 
onalis , Ashe).  20  to  30  feet;  rarely  80  feet.  Slender  tree 
with  oblong,  narrow  head  of  gray  limbs  ending  in  slim,  red- 
brown  twigs.  Bark  shaggy,  light  gray,  thin,  peeling  in  elastic, 
tough  strips.  Wood  reddish  brown,  tough,  hard,  strong,  used 
for  same  purposes  as  that  of  northern  shagbark.  Leaves  4 to  8 
inches  long,  of  3 or  5 narrow,  tapering  leaflets,  dark  green 
above  lined  with  yellow-green,  lustrous,  turning  yellow.  Flow- 
ers golden,  pubescent;  staminate  catkins  axillary;  pistillate 
paired,  terminal,  inconspicuous.  Fruit  a prominently  angled 
nut,  flattened  at  apex,  in  thin,  rough,  red-brown  husk,  that 
splits  in  4 parts,  to  base.  Shell  thin;  kernel  sweet,  light 
brown.  Dist.:  Limestone  uplands  of  western  North  Carolina 
and  eastern  Tennessee,  and  into  northern  Georgia  and  central 
Alabama. 


38 


Big  Shellbark;  Bottom  Shellbark  ( Hicoria  laciniosa, 
Sarg.)  100  to  120  feet.  Narrow-headed,  tall  tree,  with  short, 
small  branches  and  orange  twigs,  set  with  very  large  winter 
buds,  in  silky  scales.  Bark  shaggy,  thick,  gray,  shedding  in 
thick  plates  that  persist.  Wood  not  distinguished  from  that 
of  the  little  shagbark.  Leaves  15  to  22  inches  long,  of  5 to  9 
lance-shaped  leaflets,  lustrous,  dark  green,  lined  with  pale 
yellow-green,  or  bronzy  fuzz;  stalks  stout,  broad  at  base,  re- 
curved and  persistent  after  leaflets  fall,  — a noticeable  winter 
characteristic  of  this  species.  Flowers  velvety,  staminate 
catkins  5 to  8 inches  long,  reddish.  Fruit  a large  nut,  angled, 
lj  to  2|  inches  long,  flattened,  in  woody,  4-valved,  orange- 
brown,  pubescent  husk,  that  parts  but  halfway  down.  Dist.: 
Rich  bottom  land.  New  York  to  Iowa,  Kansas,  and  Oklahoma; 
south  Tennessee  and  Arkansas.  Fine  nut  and  park  tree. 


39 


Pecan  ( Hicoria  pecan , Britt).  100  to  140  feet.  Tall, 
broad-crowned  tree,  with  thick  trunk,  buttressed  at  base. 
Bark  red-brown,  in  scaly  plates;  twigs  downy,  with  orange 
dots.  Wood  light  brown,  heavy,  fine-grained,  hard,  not 
strong,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  12  to  20  inches  long,  of  9 to  17 
leaflets,  each  short-stemmed,  taper-pointed,  saw-toothed,  often 
curved  to  sickle  form,  yellow-green,  pale  beneath,  petioles  and 
midribs  yellow.  Flowers  stamina te  in  crowded  catkins;  pis- 
tillate in  terminal  spikes,  each  flower  4-angled,  scurfy,  green- 
ish. Fruit  3 to  11  in  cluster,  pointed,  4-angled,  thin-husked, 
parting  to  free  the  smooth,  red  nut.  Kernel  sweet,  fine- 
flavored,  with  bitter  corky  coat.  Dist.:  East  of  Mississippi 
River,  from  southern  Iowa  to  the  Gulf ; Illinois,  Indiana  south, 
and  from  Alabama  to  Texas.  Fine  park  and  street  tree 
Best  commercial  nut  tree  native  to  the  United  States. 


40 


Pig  Nut;  White  Hickory  ( Hicoria  glabra , Britt).  50 
to  100  feet.  Stately,  round-headed  tree,  with  narrow,  ir- 
regular head  of  twisted,  drooping  branches.  Twigs  soon 
smooth,  reddish,  with  leaf-scars  oblong  or  half-circles.  Buds 
small,  reddish,  with  leathery  scales.  Bark  gray  with  firm, 
close  surface  checked  by  small  fissures  into  plates.  Wood 
heavy,  hard,  tough,  strong,  elastic,  brown  with  white  sap- 
wood,  used  for  tool  handles,  wagons,  and  farm  implements,  and 
for  fuel.  Leaves  alternate,  smooth,  dark  yellow-green,  8 to 
12  inches  long,  of  5 to  7 leaflets,  pale  beneath,  end  ones  larger 
than  basal  pair.  Flowers  staminate  catkins  axillary,  4 to  7 
inches  long,  in  clusters  of  3’s;  pistillate  in  3-  to  5-flowered 
spikes,  greenish,  on  ends  of  twigs.  Fruit  pear-shaped  or  glo- 
bose, usually  thin-shelled,  obscurely  4-angled  nut,  with  bitter, 
white  kernel.  Husk  splits  halfway  to  base,  usually.  Dist.: 
Eastern  States  to  Nebraska  and  Texas.  Valuable  lumber  and 
shade  tree. 


41 


Bitternut;  Swamp  Hickory  ( Hicoria  minimay  Britt) 
60  to  100  feet.  Tall,  straight  tree  with  broad,  symmetrica) 
head  of  yellow-brown,  pale-dotted  twigs,  set  with  slender, 
yellow,  granular  buds.  Bark  close,  scaly,  red-brown,  thin. 
Limbs  smooth.  Wood  tough,  heavy,  hard,  brown,  close- 
grained,  used  for  ox-yokes,  hoops,  and  fuel.  Leaves  6 to  10 
inches  long,  of  7 to  11  willow-like,  leathery,  bright  green,  pale- 
lined  leaflets,  on  downy,  slender  stems.  Flowers  in  May, 
staminate  catkins  in  3’s,  3 to  4 inches  long;  pistillate  on  ter- 
minal peduncles,  1-  to  3-flowered,  with  spreading  stigmas,  green. 
Fruit  globular  or  pear-shaped,  about  1 inch  long,  often 
thicker,  in  thin,  golden-scurfy  husk,  parting  along  the  four 
winged  sutures,  sometimes  two  reaching  to  base,  never  all 
four;  shell  thin,  not  ridged,  but  marked  with  irregular,  dark 
lines;  kernel  white,  bitter.  Dist.:  Maine  and  Ontario  to 
Florida;  west  to  Minnesota  and  Texas.  Valuable  shade  and 
ornamental  tree.  Fastest  growing  hickory 


42 


Bitter  Pecan;  Water  Hickory  ( Hicoria  aquatica , Britt). 
40  to  60  feet,  rarely  100  feet.  Slender  tree,  with  narrow 
head  of  dark-red  branches  ending  in  ashy-gray,  fuzzy,  and 
glandular  twigs,  and  dark,  small  buds,  coated  with  yellow 
glands.  Bark  reddish,  thin,  shedding  in  plates.  Wood  dark, 
brittle,  close,  with  wide,  pale  sap  wood,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves 
9 to  15  inches  long,  of  7 to  13  narrow,  saw-toothed  leaflets, 
thin,  dark  green,  with  brownish  linings,  smooth  or  fuzzy. 
Flowers  smaller  but  of  same  type  as  preceding  species;  hairy. 
Fruit  often  4 or  5 in  a cluster,  flattened,  narrowed  to  base, 
yellow,  fuzzy,  thin-winged  valves  of  husk  slow  to  part,  then 
only  to  middle;  shell  thin,  dark,  4-ridged,  wrinkled,  with  red, 
bitter  powder  covering  the  dark  kernel.  Dist. : Coast  swamps 
Virginia  to  Texas;  Mississippi  bayous  and  lowlands.  Illinois 
to  the  Gulf. 


43 


Pale-leaf  Hickory  ( Hicoria  villosa , Ashe).  19  to  20 
feet;  rarely,  40  to  50  feet.  Small  tree  with  short  trunk  and 
oblong  head  of  small  branches.  Bark  gray  or  brown,  witb 
deep  furrows  and  broad,  scaly  ridges.  Twigs,  pale,  pubescent, 
becoming  purplish,  then  dark  brown  on  branches.  Wood 
brown,  hard,  chiefly  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  6 to  10  inches  long, 
pubescent,  with  tufts  of  hairs,  becoming  smooth  after  maturity ; 
leaflets  7,  sessile,  short-stalked,  taper-pointed,  saw-toothed 
toward  the  upper  half;  shield-shaped,  silvery  scales  on  the 
under  side  of  opening  leaves  are  shed  before  maturity,  and 
linings  are  pale  or  yellow,  upper  surfaces  dark  green.  Flowers 
staminate  catkins  in  3’s,  hairy;  pistillate  oblong,  4-ribbed, 
yellow,  pubescent.  Fruit  pear-shaped,  or  oblong,  4-winged 
fuzzy,  yellow,  thin-husked,  thick-shelled.  Shell  angled 
kernel  sweet.  Dist. : Sandy  and  rocky,  barren  soil,  souther  > 
New  Jersey  to  Florida;  west  to  Missouri  and  Texas. 


44 


Mockernut;  Big  Bud  Hickory  ( Hicoria  alba , Britt.).  50 
to  80  feet;  rarely  100  feet.  Tall  trunk  with  round,  spreading, 
or  narrow  head  of  stiff  upright,  and  lower,  drooping  branches. 
Twigs  with  thick,  pale,  hairy  coating;  brownish,  with  showy 
pale  lenticels,  and  big  terminal  winter  buds,  ovate,  i to  f inch 
long,  with  leathery,  keeled  scales.  Bark  gray,  thick,  with 
shallow,  irregular  fissures,  and  scaly  ridges.  Wood  heavy, 
hard,  tough,  flexible,  dark  brown,  close-grained,  used  for  the 
same  purposes  as  shellbark  hickory  wood.  Leaves  alternate, 
8 to  12  inches  long,  of  5 to  7 leaflets,  saw-toothed,  taper- 
pointed,  downy,  pale  or  orange  beneath,  yellow-green,  lustrous 
above,  turning  russet  in  fall;  fragrant.  Flowers  May,  in  cat- 
kins and  terminal  spikes,  downy,  red- tipped.  Fruit  a globular, 
thick-shelled,  ridged  nut,  in  husk  that  parts  down  to  middle 
or  lower,  often  2 inches  long,  reddish,  strong-scented.  Dist.: 
Southern  Ontario  to  northern  Florida;  west  to  Kansas  and 
Texas.  Widely  distributed  in  the  South.  Rare  north  of  the 
Ohio  River.  Abundant  on  sandy  lowlands  along  southern 
shores  and  deltas. 


45 


Nutmeg  Hickory  ( Hicoria  myristicceformis,  Britt.).  80 
to  100  feet.  Tall,  straight  tree  with  narrow,  open  head  of 
stout  branches,  ending  in  slender  twigs  coated  with  shining 
golden  scales.  Bark  brown,  irregularly  broken  into  thin,  close 
scales.  Wood  light  brown,  very  strong,  tough,  hard,  used  for 
lumber  and  fuel.  Leaves  7 to  15  inches  long,  of  5 to  11  leaflets, 
saw-toothed,  thin,  dark  green  above,  silvery  white  and  lustrous 
beneath,  with  pale,  scurfy  midribs,  turning  in  autumn  to 
bronzy  brown.  Flowers  scurfy  pubescent,  brown,  catkins  in 
3’s,  axillary;  pistil  clusters  terminal,  few-flowered.  Fruit 
solitary,  rounded  nut,  1 inch  long,  pointed  at  both  ends,  in 
thin,  scurfy  husk  with  4-winged  sutures  that  open  almost  to 
the  base;  kernel  sweet,  small,  brown,  in  thick  shell.  Dist.: 
Rich,  moist  river  banks  and  swamps,  South  Carolina  coast 
westward  to  central  Mississippi  and  southern  Arkansas.  Beau- 
tiful ornamental  tree,  hardy  in  Washington,  D.  C. 


46 


THE  POPLARS 

Quick-growing  trees  with  angled  or  round  twigs,  set  with 
icaly  buds,  soft,  light  wood,  and  bitter  barko  Leaves  decidu- 
ous, simple,  alternate,  usually  broad,  on  long  petioles.  Flowers 
dioecious,  both  kinds  in  crowded,  pendulous  catkins;  each 
flower  subtended  by  a bract  with  deeply  cut,  hairy  margin. 
Fruit  pendulous  racemes  of  2-  to  4-valved  pods;  seeds  minute 
with  dense,  silky  float  attached. 


*7 


/ 


Cottonwood  ( Populus  deltoidea , Marsh).  60  to  100  feet. 
A tall,  stately  tree,  with  wide,  irregular,  open  head,  of  massive 
limbs,  that  droop  at  extremities  in  many  angular  twigs,  set  in 
winter  with  large,  flat,  wax-sealed  buds.  Bark  thick,  ashy 
gray,  deeply  furrowed  into  rounded,  scaly  ridges.  Wood  dark 
brown,  weak,  compact,  light  weight,  with  thick,  white  sap- 
wood;  used  for  packing  cases,  fuel,  and  pulp.  Leaves  tri- 
angular or  heart-shaped,  thick  blade,  with  wavy,  coarsely  saw- 
toothed margin,  pale  lining,  on  slender,  flattened  petiole. 
Flowers  in  March,  in  pendent  catkins  of  two  sorts  on  same 
tree;  staminate  many,  closely  set  with  flowers,  red;  pistillate 
green,  few  on  tree,  catkins  few-flowered.  Fruits  in  May,  in 
oval,  2-valved  capsules,  filled  with  minute  seeds  embedded  in 
fine  cotton;  seed  clusters  10  to  12  inches  long.  Dist.:  Moist 
ground,  Canada  to  Gulf  of  Mexico;  west  to  Colorado  and 
New  Mexico.  Much  planted  for  shade  and  windbreaks  on 
prairie. 


48 


Large-toothed  Poplar  ( Populus  grandidentata , Michx.). 
50  to  75  feet.  Narrow,  round  crown  of  stout,  angular  branches 
on  slender  trunk.  Bark  dark,  rough,  deeply  fissured  between 
broad  ridges;  branches  gray-green,  twigs  pubescent  at  first. 
Buds  ovate,  waxy.  Wood  pale  brown,  weak,  soft.  Leaves 
thick,  coarse,  roundish,  with  irregular,  rounded  teeth  on  mar- 
gin. Linings  pale,  somewhat  downy.  Petioles  flattened, 
2 to  3 inches  long.  Flowers  in  pendulous  catkins  on  sepa- 
rate trees;  bracts  notched,  fringed;  staminate  red;  pistillate 
green,  with  forked  stigmas.  Fruit,  hairy  capsules,  2-valved, 
thin- walled.  Seeds  minute,  with  wings  of  silky  hairs,  ripe 
in  May.  Wind  distributed.  Dist.:  Stream  borders,  Nova 
Scotia  to  Minnesota;  south  to  New  Jersey,  and  on  mountains 
to  North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  and  Kentucky 


4a 


Balm  of  Gilead;  Balsam;  Tacamahac  ( Populus  balsami - 
fera,  Linn.).  75  to  100  feet.  Large,  stout-trunked  tree  with 
narrow,  open  head  of  angular  branches,  ending  in  warty, 
orange-dotted  twigs,  often  pubescent.  Buds  large,  exuding 
clear,  fragrant  balsam  that  seals  the  numerous  scales.  Bark 
reddish  brown  or  gray,  roughened  by  dark  excrescences; 
branches  paler,  green,  turning  red,  and  finally  gray.  Wood 
soft,  weak,  pale,  with  white  sapwood,  used  for  cheap  wooden 
wares.  Leaves  ovate  lanceolate,  finely  saw-toothed,  3 to  5 
inches  long,  thick,  dark  green,  shining,  paler,  often  rusty  be- 
neath, on  slender  stems,  not  flat.  Flowers  March,  in  droop- 
ing, hairy  catkins  with  fringed  bracts.  Fruit  May,  few  cap- 
sules on  long  stems,  seed  minute,  brown,  in  cotton.  Dist.: 
Low,  wet  land,  Newfoundland  to  Hudson  Bay  and  Alaska; 
Maine  to  Nebraska,  Idaho,  and  British  Columbia.  Worth 
most  as  a shelter  tree  where  other  trees  do  not  thrive.  Also 
planted  for  ornament. 


50 


r 


Swamp  Cottonwood;  Black  Cottonwood  I Populus  het- 
erophylla , linn.).  50  to  90  feet.  Round-topped  tree  with 
slender  branches  and  stout  twigs.  Buds  small,  resinous. 
Bark  red-brown,  in  broad  ridges,  with  loose  plates.  Wood 
brown,  light,  compact,  “black  poplar”  used  in  the  interior 
finish  of  houses  and  for  small  articles.  Leaves  broadly  ovate, 
4 to  7 inches  long,  with  fine  saw-toothed  margin,  white  and 
downy  as  they  unfold,  dark  green  with  pale  linings  when  ma- 
ture, on  round,  slim  petioles;  yellow  or  brown  in  autumn. 
Flowers  March,  in  crowded  catkins,  held  erect  until  the  flowers 
open;  bracts  fringed,  stamens  red;  pistillate  catkins  few- 
flowered,  1 to  2 inches  long,  finally  drooping.  Fruit  2-celled, 
thin-walled  capsules,  bell-shaped,  J inch  long;  seed  minute, 
dark  red,  in  cottony  float;  wind  sown  in  May.  Dist.: 
Swampy  ground,  Connecticut  to  Louisiana  along  the  rivers, 
Indiana  to  Arkansas  and  the  Gulf. 


Urn 


U,  Of 


u i 


51 


White  Poplak;  Silver  Poplar  (Populus  alba , Linn.).  35 
to  50  feet.  Round-headed  tree,  with  dense  foliage  mass 
above  short  trunk.  Bark  white  or  pale  gray,  roughened  by 
excrescences  and  furrowed  to  show  dark  spots,  scars,  and 
blotches.  Limbs  smooth,  pale,  green  toward  tips,  in  spring. 
Twigs  fuzzy  when  young.  Buds  large.  Leaves  irregularly 
lobed  and  toothed,  1 to  3 inches  long  and  broad,  dark  green, 
shining  above,  thickly  lined  with  white  down,  on  round,  flex- 
ible stems.  Flowers  in  fuzzy  catkins;  pistillate  greenish, 
few-flowered.  Fruit  2-celled  capsules  filled  with  minute, 
hairy- winged  seeds.  This  European  species  largely  planted 
about  homes  as  an  ornamental  and  shade  tree.  Has  bad 
habit  of  sprouting  from  roots.  Leaves  collect  soot  and  dust, 
and  become  unsightly  in  summer. 


52 


Lombardy  Poplar  ( Populus  nigra , Linn.,  variety  Italica). 
40  to  60  feet.  Tall,  narrowly  pyramidal  tree  of  short,  ascend- 
ing branches  from  the  ground,  covering  the  stout,  often  ir- 
regularly lobed  trunk.  Bark  rough,  dark  gray,  scaly,  swollen, 
with  excrescences.  Wood  soft,  compact,  sometimes  used  as 
fuel.  Leaves  shining,  ovate,  long-pointed,  serrate,  on  slim 
petioles.  Flowers  in  catkins,  dioecious,  pendulous,  in  early 
spring.  Fruits  clustered  capsules,  opening  to  free  the  minute, 
hairy  seeds.  Dist.:  Extensively  planted  along  roadsides  all 
over  the  Eastern  and  Prairie  States.  An  ornamental  set  to 
accent  the  spires  and  towers  of  buildings,  and  add  contrast  to 
round-topped  trees.  A valuable  tree,  with  one  grievous  fault 
— its  branches  die  from  overcrowding,  and  these  dead  ones 
persist,  so  that  the  tree  is  rarely  good-looking  after  its  youth 
passes. 


53 


Carolina  Poplar  ( Populus  deltoides , Marsh,  variety  Caro - 
linensis).  Handsome,  regularly  pyramidal  tree  of  remarkably 
quick  growth  and  luxuriant  foliage,  planted  in  cities  and 
suburban  towns  of  Eastern  and  Central  States  to  produce  im- 
mediate effects.  Leaves  triangular,  bright  green,  shining  on 
both  sides,  large,  on  flexible  stems;  the  varnished  surfaces 
resist  the  smoke  and  dust.  Flowers  of  the  usual  poplar 
type.  Fruit  clustered  capsules  containing  minute  hairy- winged 
seeds.  The  faults  of  this  tree  are  its  early  decrepitude,  the 
wind  breaking  the  branches,  and  leaving  an  unsightly  cripple 
in  a few  years.  None  but  shortsighted  persons  would  plant 
it,  except  for  temporary  shade,  while  more  permanent  kinds 
are  getting  a start.  Plant  Balm  of  Gilead  instead,  even  for 
short  periods. 


54 


THE  WILLOWS 

Chiefly  quick-growing,  water-loving  trees  and  shrubs,  with 
slender,  supple  twigs,  and  buds  with  a single  protective  cap  or 
scale  of  two  coats.  Wood  light,  soft.  Leaves  simple,  alter- 
nate, narrow  and  pointed,  deciduous.  Flowers  dioecious,  in 
loose  catkins,  each  flower  subtended  by  a bract  having  an 
entire  hairy  margin.  Fruit  a 2-valved  pod  with  papery  walls; 
seeds  minute,  in  copious  hairy  float?  - 


55 


Black  Willow  ( Salix  nigra , Marsh).  50  to  100  feet. 
Spreading,  round-headed  tree,  usually  of  several  stout  branches 
rising  near  the  ground  from  the  short  trunk;  twigs  slender, 
reddish,  smooth,  often  snowy  pubescent  when  young.  Buds 
small,  pointed.  Bark  shaggy,  dark-brown  ridges,  with  orange 
color  showing  in  the  shallow  fissures;  surface  flaky.  Wood 
pale  brown,  weak,  soft,  close-grained,  used  for  charcoal. 
Leaves  narrowly  lanceolate,  often  sickle-shaped,  finely  saw- 
toothed, short-stemmed,  with  a pair  of  semi-cordate  stipules 
at  base,  sometimes  persistent,  sometimes  wanting,  both  sides 
bright  green,  thin  with  pale  pubescence  on  the  veins  only,  be- 
neath, often  lacking.  Length  3 to  5 inches.  Flowers  dioe- 
cious, in  catkins,  with  leaves,  in  short,  lateral  twigs.  Fruit 
in  racemes,  the  ovoid  capsules  containing  minute,  hairy  seeds. 
Dist.:  Stream  borders  and  lake  shores,  all  regions  east  of 
Rocky  Mountains;  also  in  mountainous  regions  of  California, 
but  rare.  Largest  and  most  conspicuous  native  willow  of  the 
eastern  half  of  North  America. 


56 


Sand-bar  Willow  (Salix  fluviatilis,  Nutt).  20  to  30  feet. 
Slender  tree  or  much-branched  shrub,  covering  sandy  shoals 
and  mud  flats.  Bark  dark  brown,  irregularly  cut  into  scaly 
plates.  Wood  soft,  pale  brown,  with  thin,  light-colored  sap- 
wood.  Leaves  very  narrowly  lanceolate,  coarsely  toothed, 
silky  at  first,  smooth,  bright  green,  paler  beneath,  2 to  4 inches 
long,  with  raised,  prominent  midrib,  short  petiole,  and  minute, 
deciduous  stipules.  Flowers  in  slender,  silky  catkins,  1 to  3 
inches,  on  separate  trees.  Fruit  pale  brown,  ovoid  capsules; 
seeds  minute,  winged  with  silk.  Dist. : Quebec  to  Northwest 
Territory;  south  to  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  New  Mexico. 
Very  common  in  Mississippi  Valley. 


57 


Peach-leaf  Willow  (Salix  amygdaloides , Anders).  30 
to  40  feet;  rarely  70  feet.  Slender  tree  with  erect  or  leaning 
trunk  and  straight,  ascending  branches.  Bark  reddish  brown, 
fissured  into  scaly  plates;  branches  brown,  shading  into  orange 
in  the  shining,  pale-dotted  twigs.  Wood  light,  soft,  pale 
blown,  weak,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  broadly  lanceolate,  taper- 
pointed,  with  rounded  base  and  serrate  margins,  pale,  and 
glaucous  beneath,  bright  green  above,  with  prominent,  yellow 
midribs,  and  veins,  and  stout  petioles;  stipules  kidney-shaped, 
broad,  but  early  deciduous.  Strong  resemblance  to  the  foli- 
age of  peach  trees.  Flowers  in  loosely  flowered  catkins,  1 to  2 
inches  long,  with  leaves.  Fruits,  capsules  with  thin,  dry  walls 
containing  minute  seeds.  Dist. : Quebec  to  British  Columbia; 
south  through  New  York,  Ohio  to  Missouri  and  Texas;  moun- 
tainous regions  to  British  Columbia.  Rare  east  of  Ohio. 
Commonest  large  willow  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Cultivated 
in  the  Middle  West. 


58 


Shining  Willow  ( Salix  lucida,  Muehl.).  Shrub  to  25  feet. 
Broad,  round-headed  shrub  or  small  tree,  with  stout,  smooth, 
shining  twigs,  orange  at  first,  becoming  tinged  with  red.  Dark 
brown  with  reddish  tinge,  thin,  smooth.  Leaves  lanceolate, 
tapering,  with  round  or  wedge-shaped  base,  serrate  edges,  3 to 
5 inches  long,  leathery,  dark  green,  with  yellow  ribs,  paler 
beneath;  petioles  stout,  yellow,  glandular  at  apex.  Flowers 
in  erect,  fuzzy  catkins,  densely  flowered,  on  ends  of  short  twigs. 
Fruits,  capsules,  cylindrical,  shining,  f inch  long,  with  minute 
seeds  in  silky  down.  Disk:  Newfoundland  to  Mackenzie 
River  and  eastern  slopes  of  Rocky  Mountains;  south  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  Nebraska. 


59 


Pussy  Willow  (Salix  discolor , Muehl).  Shrub  to  25  feet. 
Open,  round-topped  tree,  or  many-stemmed  shrub,  with  as 
cending  branches  and  stout,  red  twigs,  at  first  coated  with 
pale  pubescence.  Bark  reddish  brown,  checked  into  irregular 
plates  with  scaly  surface.  Wood  light,  soft,  close-grained, 
brown.  Leaves  oblong-lanceolate,  tapering  at  both  ends, 
saw-toothed,  thick,  bright  green,  with  pale  or  silvery  lining, 
3 to  5 inches  long.  Midribs  broad,  yellow.  Petioles  short, 
slender;  stipules  leaf-like,  half-moon-shaped,  deciduous.  Flow- 
ers in  erect,  crowded  spikes  or  catkins,  with  silky,  silvery 
tufts  of  hair  between  the  scales.  Appearing  before  the  leaves, 
in  late  winter  or  earliest  spring.  Fruit,  bottle-shaped  capsules, 
pale  pubescent,  with  minute  seeds.  Dist.:  Common  in  wet 
ground  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Manitoba;  south  to  Delaware 
and  Missouri.  Cut  and  forced  into  bloom  in  winter  to  supply 
florist  trade. 


GO 


Golden  Osier  ( Salix  alba , Linn.,  variety  vitellina).  40 
to  60  feet.  Venerable-looking,  stout- trunked  tree  with  wide, 
rounded  head  of  vigorous  branches,  the  slim  terminal  twigs 
orange  or  golden.  Bark  rough,  gray,  sometimes  shaggy. 
Wood  soft,  light,  weak,  brown,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  ellip- 
tical, serrate,  2 to  4 inches  long,  silky,  hairy,  becoming  smooth 
at  maturity,  lining  pale  or  white,  hairy;  petioles  short. 
Flowers  in  catkins  of  the  willow  type,  described  above.  Fruit 
a bottle-shaped  capsule,  in  hanging  cluster,  in  May;  seeds 
minute,  with  float  of  down.  Dist.:  Eastern  North  America. 
A naturalized  variety  derived  from  the  white  willow  of  Europe. 


61 


THE  HORNBEAMS 


1.  Genus  OSTRYA,  Scop. 

Small  trees  with  very  hard  wood  and  scaly  bark.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  ovate,  deciduous.  Flowers  small,  monoe- 
cious, both  in  catkins.  Fruits  conical,  hop-like,  of  many  nuts, 
each  one  in  an  inflated  sac. 

2.  Genus  CARPINUS,  Linn. 

Small  tree,  with  smooth,  gray  bark,  showing  swellings  lik-' 
veins.  Leaves  simple,  alternate,  oblong-lanceolate.  Flowers, 
both  sorts  in  aments,  monoecious.  Fruit,  paired  nutlets,  each 
with  a 3-lobed  wing.  ( C . Caroliniana ) Hornbeam 


62 


Hop  Hornbeam;  Iron  wood  ( Ostrya  Virgmiana,  Willa). 
£0  to  30  feet;  rarely  50  to  60  feet.  Slender  tree  with  close, 
roundish  head  of  wiry  branches  that  droop  in  tough,  flexible 
twigs  of  thread-like  slimness.  Bark  gray-brown,  furrowed 
closely  into  scaly  ridges,  that  break  into  oblong  plates.  Shed 
in  strips  that  spring  out  at  both  ends  giving  the  trunk  the  ap- 
pearance of  a shagbark  hickory.  Wood  red-brown,  tough, 
strong,  cross-grained,  hard  to  work,  used  for  mallets,  tool 
handles,  and  levers.  Also  for  fence-posts.  Leaves  oblong- 
lanceolate  or  ovate  acuminate,  doubly  and  sharply  serrate, 
3 to  5 inches  long,  thin,  tough,  yellow-green,  paler  beneath; 
petioles  short,  hairy.  Flowers  with  leaves;  monoecious,  in 
catkins;  staminate  in  3’s,  on  ends  of  twigs;  opening  early  the 
season  after  they  were  formed;  pistillate  in  slender,  erect, 
loose  clusters,  green,  with  red,  forked  stigmas,  and  perianth  of 
3 united  bracts.  Fruit  a hop-like  cluster  of  papery  capsules, 
each  containing  a hard,  shiny  nut.  Dist. : Shady  woodlands, 
Nova  Scotia  to  western  Dakota;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas. 


63 


American  Hornbeam;  Blue  Beech  ( Carpinus  Carolini 
ana , Walt).  10  to  40  feet.  Bushy,  gnarled,  shapeless,  often 
leaning,  tree,  with  flattened  head  of  long,  zigzag  branches, 
drooping  in  thread-like,  supple  twigs.  Bark  furrowed  and 
rough  at  base  of  old  trunks;  usually  smooth,  fine-textured, 
bluish  gray,  swollen  in  irregular  lines  that  look  like  veins 
under  the  surface.  Branches  gray;  twigs  red,  at  first  silky. 
Wood  brown,  hard,  heavy,  fine  textured,  difficult  to  work; 
used  for  levers,  tool  handles,  wedges,  maul  heads,  mill 
cogs,  and  ox-yokes.  Leaves  ovate-oblong,  often  curved  to 
sickle-shape,  with  long  point,  double  saw-toothed  margin  and 
bounded  base,  above  short  petiole.  Flowers  monoecious,  in 
April;  staminate  in  drooping,  lateral  catkins;  pistillate  in 
terminal  racemes,  with  green  scales  and  red  stigmas.  Fruit 
paired  nutlets,  with  wings,  leaf-like,  3-lobed,  saw-toothed. 
Dist.:  Along  watercourses,  in  shade  of  other  trees;  lower  Cam 
ada  to  Florida;  west  to  Minnesota  and  Texas;  also  in  Mexico 
and  Central  America.  Worthy  of  planting  in  parks  for  its 
orange  and  scarlet  autumn  coloring. 


64 


THE  BIRCHES 
Genus  BETULA,  Linn. 

Trees  with  smooth  bark  marked  with  conspicuous  horizon- 
tal slits  ( lenticels ),  usually  curling  back  in  thin  horizontal 
layers.  Leaves  simple,  alternate,  deciduous,  serrate,  stalked. 
Flowers  monoecious,  in  catkins.  Fruit  cone-like,  scaly;  seed 
flat,  winged. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Bark  chalky  white,  yellow  beneath. 

B.  Leaves  triangular,  bark  close. 

( B . populifolia)  White  Birch 
BB.  Leaves  ovate;  bark  separating  freely  into  layers. 

(B.  papyrifera)  Canoe  Birch 
AA.  Bark  gray,  curling  back,  yellow  beneath. 

( B . lutea)  Yellow  Birch 
AAA.  Bark  red,  curling  in  thin  ribbons;  cones  ripe  in  June. 

(B.  nigra ) Red  Birch 

AAAA.  Bark  dark  brown,  lustrous. 

B.  Twigs  aromatic;  bark  separating  into  thick 
plates.  ( B . lenta)  Sweet  Birch 

6* 


American  White  Birch;  Aspen-leaved  Birch;  Gra> 
Birch  ( Betula  populifolia , Marsh).  20  to  30  feet;  rarely 
40  feet.  Narrow,  pyramidal,  pointed  tree,  short-lived,  with 
contorted,  often  pendulous  branches  clothing  the  trunk  to 
the  ground.  Bark  chalky  white  or  grayish,  that  does  not  rub 
off  on  clothing,  with  rough,  triangular  patches  of  black  under 
the  branches  or  scars  of  lost  ones,  elsewhere  smooth,  not  easily 
separating  into  thin  layers;  orange-colored  below  surface, 
turning  black  in  fissures.  Branches  brown;  twigs  yellow, 
shining.  Wood  brown,  weak,  close-grained,  not  durable, 
soft,  used  for  shoe-pegs,  spools,  wood  pulp,  and  fuel.  Leaves 
triangular,  long-pointed,  irregularly  lobed,  saw-toothed,  dark 
green,  paler  beneath,  2 to  3 inches  long,  on  slim,  twisted  peti- 
oles; yellow  in  autumn.  Flowers  monoecious,  before  leaves, 
April,  in  catkins  formed  in  the  previous  season;  staminate  2 
to  4 inches  long,  turnip  yellow;  pistillate  1 inch  long,  green, 
stiff.  Fruit  cylindrical  cone,  pubescent,  blunt  at  both  ends, 
hanging  on  short  stalk;  seeds  heart-shaped,  with  thin  border 
wing,  each  on  a scaly  bract,  3-lobed  at  top,  downy.  Dist.: 
Swamp  borders  or  gravelly  ridges,  often  in  considerable  areas 
of  this  tree  alone,  especially  after  forest  fires;  Nova  Scotia 
to  Lake  Ontario;  south  to  Delaware;  abundant  on  coas* 
region  of  New  England,  soon  covering  abandoned  farms. 

Rtf 


European  White  Birch  ( Betula  alba , Linn.).  The  prin- 
cipal fuel  tree  in  many  parts  of  northern  Europe.  Not  seen 
in  America  except  in  horticultural  varieties,  which  are  daintier 
and  far  more  beautiful  than  their  commonplace  parent. 

Cut-leaved  White  Birch  is  variety  laciniata,  a tall,  graceful, 
pyramidal  tree,  with  small,  shining,  triangular  leaves  variously 
lobed  and  cleft  into  narrow  divisions;  petioles  slim,  flexible, 
giving  the  foliage  mass  the  trembling  habit  of  aspens.  Bark 
white,  easily  peeling  horizontally,  revealing  dark  under  layers. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  cutting  or  bruising  of  this  thin 
outer  coating,  one  of  the  chief  attractions  of  a fine  park  or 
lawn  specimen  tree. 

Weeping  White  Birch  is  variety  pendula , with  long,  slim, 
flexible  branches  whose  twigs  sweep  downward,  and  look  like 
those  of  the  weeping  willow.  There  are  cut-leaved  forms  of 
this  variety,  that  add  delicacy  to  the  shining,  tremulous  foli- 
age mass.  Nurserymen  readily  supply  these  beautiful  birches 
which  are  easily  grown  in  the  cooler  regions  of  the  United 
States.  They  are  adapted  to  city  and  town  use,  for  they 
occupy  little  space,  and  bear  the  closest  inspection,  and  they 
have  no  bad  habits. 


67 


Canoe  Birch;  Paper  Birch  ( Betula  papyrifera,  Marsh). 
60  to  80  feet.  Large  tree  with  broad,  open  head  of  few,  erect 
large  limbs,  with  numerous  horizontal  branches  ending  in 
flexible  twigs.  Bark  dull,  chalky  white,  stripping  horizon- 
tally into  thin,  curling  sheets,  cut  by  slit-like  lenticels,  and 
curling  at  the  edges;  under  layers  brownish,  parting  into  great 
numbers  of  thin  sheets,  used  for  writing  paper.  White  sur- 
face rubs  off  on  clothing.  Wood  brown,  reddish,  light,  hard, 
close-grained,  tough,  used  for  shoe  lasts,  pegs,  spools,  wood 
pulp,  and  fuel.  Leaves  ovate,  2 to  3 inches  long,  finely  and 
irregularly  saw-toothed,  dull,  dark  green  above,  paler  beneath, 
yellow  in  autumn.  Petioles  grooved,  hairy,  slender.  Flowers 
monoecious,  in  catkins:  staminate  in  3’s,  terminal,  3 to  4 inches 
long;  pistillate  solitary,  3 to  inches  long.  Fruit  smooth, 
cylindrical  cones  of  overlapping,  3-lobed  bracts,  each  with  a 
single  oval,  broad-winged  seed.  Dist.:  Canada  and  Alaska; 
south  to  Long  Island,  Pennsylvania,  Central  Michigan,  and 
Minnesota,  northern  Nebraska,  Black  Hills,  northern  Mon- 
tana and  Washington;  north  to  Arctic  Circle.  Furnishes 
Indians  bark  for  canoes,  and  innumerable  camp  utensils  to 
trappers.  Inner  bark  is  a starchy  food.  Used  as  an  orna- 
mental and  shade  tree. 

68 


Cherry  Birch,  Sweet  Birch;  Black  Birch  ( Betula  lenta , 
Linn.).  50  to  80  feet.  Symmetrical,  round-headed  tree,  with 
aromatic  leaves  and  bark,  slender,  graceful  drooping  branches. 
Bark  brown,  furrowed,  and  broken  into  irregular  plates,  coated 
with  remnants  of  the  silky  epidermis,  with  its  horizontal  slits, 
like  the  bark  on  the  smooth  limbs.  Inner  bark  sweet,  spicy. 
Wood  reddish  brown,  heavy,  hard,  strong,  close-grained,  used 
for  furniture,  in  shipbuilding,  and  for  fuel.  Sap  made  into 
beer.  Leaves  ovate,  2 to  6 inches  long,  doubly  serrate,  acute, 
thin,  dark,  dull  green  above,  yellow-green  beneath,  hairy  on 
veins  and  petiole;  yellow  in  autumn.  Flowers  similar  to 
those  of  preceding  species.  Fruit,  ripe  in  June,  erect,  smooth, 
oblong  cones,  with  3-lobed  bracts  and  winged  nutlets.  Dist.: 
Newfoundland  to  western  Ontario;  south  to  Florida,  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  and  Kansas.  Common  forest  tree  in  the  North. 


69 


Hoary  Alder;  Speckled  Alder  ( Alnus  incana , Willd.). 
Shrub  to  20  feet.  Shrubby  tree  forming  copses  in  wet  ground. 
Distinguished  by  white  spots  that  blotch  the  bark.  Leaves 
ovate,  strongly  veined  with  straight  ribs,  dark  green,  lined 
with  hoary  bloom.  Flowers  in  catkins,  monoecious,  clustered 
near  ends  of  twigs.  Fruit  oval  cones,  J inch  long,  scales 
spreading  to  liberate  the  winged  seeds.  Dist.:  Woodlands, 
Eastern  States. 


70 


Seaside  Alder  ( Alnus  maritima,  Nutt.)-  Shrub  to  30  feet. 
Round-topped  tree,  with  small,  spreading  branches,  angu- 
lar, ending  in  hairy,  greenish  twigs.  Oftener  a shrub  ol 
many  stems.  Bark  thin,  smooth,  light  brown.  Wood  solt, 
brown,  close-grained.  Leaves  oblong,  3 to  4 inches  long, 
edges  finely  toothed,  dark,  shining  green  above,  paler  and 
dull  beneath.  Flowers  autumnal,  monoecious;  stammate 
catkins  clustered,  yellow,  1 to  2 inches  long;  pistillate  ovate, 
i inch  long.  Fruit  woody,  oval  cone,  parting  scales  to  tree  the 
pointed  seeds.  Dist.:  Eastern  Delaware  and  Maryland;  also 
Oklahoma. 


71 


THE  BEECHES 

Trees  valuable  for  their  timber  and  nuts,  and  also  for  shade 
and  ornamental  planting.  Leaves  simple,  alternate,  feather 
veined,  deciduous.  Flowers  monoecious,  small,  crowded  into 
spikes  or  heads.  Fruit  a pair  of  triangular  nuts  in  a 4-valved 
bur. 


72 


Beech  ( Fagus  Americana , Sweet).  50  to  80  feet.  Com- 
pact, round-topped  tree  with  numerous  horizontal  and  droop- 
ing branches,  ending  in  slim,  silky-coated  twigs,  set  with 
pencil-like,  pointed  buds,  1 inch  long  in  winter,  shining,  brown. 
Bark  close-grained,  gray,  often  almost  white,  usually  blotched 
and  roughened  on  old  trunks  by  warty  excrescences.  Branches 
smooth,  gray,  twigs  brown,  silky,  smooth,  lustrous.  Wood 
red,  close-grained,  hard,  strong,  not  durable,  lustrous  when 
polished,  used  for  plane  stocks,  shoe  lasts,  chairs,  tool-handles, 
flooring,  and  for  fuel.  Leaves  clustered  on  ends  of  short  side 
twigs;  oblong-ovate,  pointed,  strongly  veined,  saw-toothed, 
thin,  smooth,  dark  bluish  green  above,  yellow-green,  lustrous, 
at  first  hairy,  beneath,  petiole  hairy.  * Flowers  May,  monoe- 
cious, staminate  in  pendant,  yellow-green  balls;  pistillate 
solitary  or  paired  on  silky  stems  in  axils  of  upper  leaves. 
Fruit,  paired  triangular  nuts  in  prickly,  4-valved  pod  or 
husk.  Kernel  sweet,  edible,  in  thin,  brown  shell.  Dist.: 
Rich  bottom  land,  Nova  Scotia  to  Lake  Huron  and  northern 
Wisconsin;  south  to  Florida,  Missouri,  and  Texas.  Often 
planted  for  shade  and  ornament. 


73 


European  Beech  ( Fagus  sylvatica,  Linn.).  An  important 
timber  tree  of  Europe,  extensively  planted  in  the  Eastern 
States,  where  it  attains  great  size.  Distinguished  from  the 
American  beech  by  the  dark  color  of  its  bark. 

The  Purple  Beech  is  a variety  with  purple  foliage.  Weeping 
and  cut-leaved,  varieties  are  very  popular  as  dooryard  trees. 
All  are  horticultural  forms  of  the  Old  World  beech. 


74 


THE  CHESTNUTS 

Trees  of  ornamental  and  timber  value.  Leaves  simple 
oblong  to  lanceolate,  strongly  ribbed,  alternate,  leathery. 
Flowers  monoecious,  in  spikes,  showy.  Fruit,  nuts  in  spiny 
burs. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

Leaves  deciduous;  fruit  annual. 

1.  Genus  Castanea,  Adans. 

B.  Trees  large;  leaves  smooth  and  green  on  both 
sides;  nuts  2 to  3 in  4-valved,  spiny  bur. 

(C.  dentata)  Chestnut 
BB.  Trees  shrubby,  leaves  pale  and  pubescent  beneath; 
nuts  solitary  in  2-valved  bur. 

( C . pumila)  Chinquapin 
There  are  five  known  species  of  the  true  chestnuts,  three  of 
which  are  American.  One  of  these  is  a shrub,  C.  alnifolia , 
Nutt.  The  European  species  ( C . sativa , Mill.)  is~the  well- 
known  sweet  chestnut  of  Italy  and  Spain,  as  important  in  the 
diet  of  the  peasantry  as  are  potatoes  in  Ireland.  This  species 
extends  its  range  to  eastern  Asia.  The  Japanese  C.  crenata , 


75 


Sieb.  and  Zucc.,  has  been  introduced  into  American  gardens. 
The  trees  begin  to  bear  when  very  young.  The  nuts  are  not 
sweet  like  our  native  chestnuts,  but  they  are  good  when  cooked. 

Chinquapin  ( Castanea  pumila,  Mill.).  Shrub  to  50  feet 
Shrub  to  medium-sized  tree,  with  round  top  of  spreading, 
slender  branches  and  pubescent  twigs.  Bark  reddish  brown, 
broken  into  thin,  scaly  plates.  Wood  coarse-grained,  brown, 
hard,  strong,  durable,  used  for  posts,  rails,  and  ties.  Leaves 
oblong-oval,  acute,  with  stiff,  sharp  teeth  on  margin,  fuzzy 
on  opening,  with  thick,  white  wool  lining,  becoming  thick, 
yellow-green,  smooth  above  and  silvery-pubescent  beneath, 
3 to  5 inches  long;  short  petioles.  Flowers  monoecious,  silvery 
pubescent,  in  axillary  spikes;  stamina te,  4 to  6 inches  long, 
red-tipped,  fragrant;  pistillate  on  base  of  spike,  few,  bottle- 
shaped. Fruit  a spiny,  2-valved  husk  containing  an  ovoid, 
sweet  nut.  Dist.:  Bare,  gravelly  ridges,  or  swamp  margins, 
forming  thickets,  Pennsylvania  to  Florida;  west  to  Arkansas 
and  Texas. 


76 


THE  OAKS 

Trees  of  great  lumber  and  horticultural  value.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  entire  or  lobed.  Flowers  monoecious,  in- 
conspicuous; staminate,  in  pendulous  catkins;  pistillate,  sol- 
itary or  few  in  a cluster.  Fruit,  a dry  nut  in  a scaly  cup  (an 
acorn) . 

KEY  TO  OAK  GROUPS 

Flowers  of  two  sorts  borne  in  separate  clusters;  stam- 
inate in  pendent  catkins;  pistillate,  few  or  solitary 
on  short  stalks. 

Genus  Quercus,  Linn. 

B.  Fruit  annual;  leaves  with  rounded  lobes,  not  spiny 
pointed;  bark  usually  pale. 

The  White  Oak  Group 

, BB.  Fruit  biennial;  leaves  with  lobes  spiny  pointed; 

bark  usually  dark.  The  Black  Oak  Group 


77 


White  Oak  ( Quercus  alba , Linn.).  60  to  150  feet;  trunk  3 
to  8 feet.  A large  tree,  tall  in  the  forest,  low  and  broad- 
domed  in  the  open  fields.  Bark  pale  gray,  broken  into  small 
thin  plates.  Wood  tough,  strong,  heavy,  hard,  durable,  light 
brown,  with  prominent  medullary  rays.  Buds  short,  round, 
smooth,  clustered  at  tip  of  twigs.  Leaves  alternate,  5 to  9 
inches  long,  obovate  or  oblong  with  7 to  9 rounded  or  finger- 
shaped  lobes,  and  deep,  rounded  sinuses  between  petioles 
stout;  color  red  at  first,  with  white  silky  lining,  then  bright 
green  above,  paler  beneath;  in  autumn  deep  red,  pale  purplish 
beneath.  Flowers  in  May;  staminate  catkins,  hairy,  2J  to  2 
inches  long,  yellow;  pistillate,  1 to  2 on  short  stems,  stamens 
bright  red.  Acorns  annual,  on  short  or  long  stems;  cup  shallow, 
thin,  with  closely  appressed  scales;  nut  of  long,  shiny  brown,  f 
to  1 inch  long,  sweet,  edible.  Dist.:  Rich,  well-drained  soil. 
Southern  Maine  to  Florida;  west  to  Minnesota,  Kansas,  and 
Texas.  A lumber  tree  of  highest  rank.  Bark  used  in  tan 
ning  leather.  Wood  used  in  naval  architecture,  in  house- 
building, and  inside  finishing;  for  furniture,  agricultural  im- 
plements, cooperage,  railroad  ties,  and  fuel. 

f8 


Live  Oak  ( Quercus  Viryiniana,  Mill.).  50  to  70  feet;  50  to 
(50  feet  across.  Spreading,  round- topped,  short-trunked 
tree,  of  numerous  small,  rigid,  angular  branches;  trunk  often 
lobed  and  buttressed.  Bark  brownish  red,  with  shallow  fis- 
sures, and  scaly  ridges;  limbs  shading  to  pale  gray;  twigs 
hoary  pubescent.  Wood  very  heavy,  hard,  tough,  durable, 
light  brown;  superior  lumber.  Leaves  evergreen,  leathery, 
obovate  or  elliptical,  plain-margined,  2 to  5 inches  long,  dark 
green  shining  above,  pale  to  silvery  white  beneath,  and  downy; 
shed  by  the  oncoming  of  new  foliage  in  spring.  Flowers  mon- 
oecious, in  April;  staminate  catkins  clustered,  hairy,  showy; 
pistillate  in  spikes,  long,  few-flowered,  red-tipped.  Acorns 
clustered,  brown,  1 inch  long,  pointed,  in  thin,  scaly,  stalked 
cup;  nut  ^ to  § enclosed;  kernel  sweet.  Dist.:  Islands  and 
sandy  coast  regions,  Virginia  to  Florida,  and  Cuba;  west  to 
Mexico;  occurs  in  Lower  California  and  Mexico.  Favorite 
shade  and  ornamental  park  tree  of  the  South. 


70 


Bur  Oak;  Mossy  Cup  Oak  ( Quercus  macrocarpa , Michx.) 
75  to  160  feet.  Irregularly  round-headed,  ruggedly  pictur- 
esque, unsymmetrical  tree.  Bark  gray-brown,  deeply  fissured, 
shaggy;  branches  ridged,  shedding  plates  of  bark;  twigs  stout, 
pubescent,  and  winged  with  corky  ridges.  Wood  brown,  close- 
grained,  heavy,  durable,  with  conspicuous  pith  rays,  used  as 
the  highest  grade  of  white  oak  in  the  lumber  trade.  Leaves 
6 to  12  inches  long,  obovate,  5 to  7-lobed,  two  wide  sinuses 
opposite,  below  the  middle,  cutting  the  leaf  almost  in  two. 
Upper  surface  lustrous,  dark  green;  lining  silvery  pubescent. 
Flowers:  staminate  in  profuse,  clustered  catkins,  with  opening 
leaves;  pistillate  in  greenish,  few-flowered  clusters,  red- tipped. 
Acorns  annual,  \ to  2 inches  long,  fuzzy,  in  deep,  brown, 
hairy  cup,  covered  with  loose,  shaggy  scales,  fringed  around 
the  top.  Kernel  white,  sweet.  Dist.:  Nova  Scotia  to  Mon- 
tana; south  to  Pennsylvania,  Tennessee,  and  Texas.  Thrives 
in  many  soils  and  climates.  Fine  park  oak. 


80 


Chestnut  Oak;  Tanbark  Oak;  Rock  Oak  ( Quercus 
Prinus , Linn.).  50  to  100  feet.  Tree  with  broad,  irregular 
head  of  large  limbs  spreading  from  a short  trunk.  Bark 
nearly  black,  furrowed  into  wide,  rounded,  scaly  ridges; 
branches  smooth,  with  lustrous,  purplish  bark.  Wood  dark, 
reddish  brown,  close-grained,  tough,  heavy,  durable  in  con- 
tact with  soil,  used  for  fencing,  railroad  ties,  and  bark  for  tan- 
ning leather.  Leaves  5 to  9 inches  long,  obovate,  not  lobed, 
but  coarsely  toothed,  thick,  yellow-green  above,  pale,  usually 
pubescent  beneath;  resembling  foliage  of  chestnut.  Flowers 
in  May;  staminate  in  long,  hairy  catkins;  pistillate  on  short 
spikes,  few-flowered,  with  red  stigmas.  Acorns  solitary, 
stalked,  rarely  in  pairs,  1 to  1|  inches  long,  almost  1 inch 
broad,  blunt-tipped,  chestnut-brown,  shining,  half  buried  in 
thin  cup,  reddish  brown,  hoary,  pubescent,  with  thick,  pointed 
or  knobbed  scales.  Kernel  sweet,  edible.  Dist.:  Southern 
Maine  to  western  New  York;  south  into  Maryland,  Kentucky, 
and  Tennessee;  along  mountains  to  Georgia  and  Alabama. 
Superb,  annual-fruited  tree  of  the  white  oak  group. 


81 


Yellow  Oak;  Chestnut  Oak  ( Quercus  acuminata , Sarg.). 
80  to  120  feet.  Tall,  straight  tree  with  round  head  of  tremu- 
lous, shining  foliage.  Bark  thin,  silvery,  shedding  in  loose 
scales.  Wood  heavy,  hard,  strong,  coarse-grained,  durable, 
used  for  barrels,  fencing,  and  railroad  ties.  Leaves  crowded 
on  ends  of  twigs,  4 to  7 inches  long,  oblong-lanceolate,  coarsely 
and  sharply  toothed,  yellow-green  above,  pale,  often  silvery 
and  velvety  on  lower  surface,  leathery,  much  resembling  chest- 
nut leaves.  Flowers  same  as  preceding  species.  Acorns  much 
like  those  of  the  preceding  species,  but  smaller.  Dist.:  Dry 
banks  or  bottom  lands,  Vermont  to  Minnesota;  south  to  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia;  along  mountains  to  Alabama;  west  to 
Arkansas  and  Texas.  Rare  and  local  in  Atlantic  Statesc 


82 


Overcup  Oak;  Swamp  Post  Oak  ( Quercus  lyrata , Walt.). 
70  to  100  feet.  Symmetrical,  but  narrow,  round-headed  tree, 
with  small,  drooping  branches.  Bark  reddish  gray,  furrowed 
and  shedding  in  thick  scaly  plates.  Branches  ashen;  twigs 
brownish  yellow,  pubescent.  Wood  brown,  strong,  tough, 
durable,  used  for  lumber:  called  “white  oak.”  Leaves  ovate- 
oblong,  with  5 to  9 lobes,  sinuses  wide,  especially  the  middle 
pair,  6 to  8 inches  long,  tapering  to  base,  lining  white,  downy; 
upper  surface  bright  green,  shining.  Acorns  annual,  on  short 
stalks;  nut  small,  flattened,  enclosed  in  the  globular,  rough, 
scaly  cup,  1 to  lj  inches  in  diameter.  Dist.:  Maryland  to 
Florida;  west  to  Missouri  and  Texas.  Rare  except  in  the 
Southwest.  Prefers  coast  or  river  swamps. 


8$ 


Post  Oak;  Iron  Oak  ( Quercus  minor , Sarg.).  Shrub  to 
60  feet.  Dense,  round-topped  head  of  stout,  stiff  branches 
with  fuzzy  twigs.  Bark  cleft  into  thick,  scaly,  wide  ridges. 
Wood  brown,  heavy,  hard,  durable  in  soil,  used  for  posts,  ties, 
and  general  building.  Leaves  4 to  5 inches  long,  clustered, 
stiff,  harsh,  shining,  dark  green  above,  brown,  woolly  beneath, 
the  5 to  7 irregular  lobes  squarish,  and  sinuses  also.  Persis- 
tent all  winter,  in  protected  situations.  Flowers  staminate, 
catkins  yellow,  hairy,  3 to  4 inches  long;  pistillate  few  in  clus- 
ter, greenish,  with  red  tips  of  stigmas.  Acorns  annual,  abun- 
dant, f to  1 inch  long,  ovoid,  brown,  less  than  half  covered  by 
the  shallow  cup  of  loose,  blunt  scales.  Kernel  sweet.  Dist.: 
Massachusetts  to  northern  Florida;  west  to  Missouri  and 
Texas;  common  in  the  Southwest.  Good  for  planting  rough 
ground. 


84 


Swamp  White  Oak  ( Quercus  platanoides , Sudw.).  70  to 
100  feet.  Shaggy,  picturesque,  rugged  tree,  with  short,  hor- 
izontal branches,  drooping  below,  ending  in  tufts  of  twigs  that 
die  and  persist.  Bark  pale  grayish  brown,  peeling  in  thirf 
flakes  from  trunk  and  limbs,  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  the 
sycamore.  Wood  pale  brown,  heavy,  coarse,  tough,  used  as 
other  white  oak  is.  Leaves  obovate,  5 to  7 inches  long,  wedge- 
shaped  at  base,  wavy-margined,  with  small,  rounded  lobes, 
dull,  dark  green  above,  white  downy  beneath.  Petioles 
stout.  Flowers  hairy,  monoecious:  staminate  in  catkins; 
pistillate  few,  spiked.  Acorns  annual,  paired,  on  long  stem; 
nut  oval,  1 to  lj  inches  long,  brown,  hairy  at  tip,  in  rough  cup 
with  thick  scales,  often  fringed  at  top;  kernel  sweet,  edible. 
Dist.:  Moist  or  swampy  soil,  Maine  to  Iowa;  south  to  Mary- 
land, Kentucky,  and  Arkansas;  along  mountains  into  Georgia. 
Commonest  near  Great  Lakes.  Worthy  park  tree. 


$5 


♦ 


L. 


Basket  Oak;  Cow  Oak  ( Quercus  Michauxii , Nutt.)-  60 
to  100  feet.  Handsome,  tall  tree,  with  compact,  round  head 
of  stiff  ascending  branches  and  stout  twigs,  dark  green,  hairy. 
Bark  scaly,  silvery  or  ashy  gray,  with  tinge  of  red.  Wood 
similar  in  qualities  and  used  as  other  white-oak  lumber. 
Leaves  obovate,  straight- veined,  regularly  and  shallowly  lobed 
by  undulating  lines,  into  finger  points;  surface  lustrous,  dark 
green;  lining  white,  pubescent.  Autumn  color,  crimson. 
Flowers  as  in  preceding  species.  Acorns  paired,  on  short  stem, 
oval,  pointed,  brown,  in  shallow,  scaly  cup  that  is  flat-bot- 
tomed, lined  with  down.  Kernel  sweetest,  most  edible  among 
eastern  species.  Dist.:  Swamps  and  flood  plains,  Delaware 
to  Florida;  west  to  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Texas.  Important 
timber  tree.  Considered  the  southern  form  of  the  preceding 
species. 


86 


Pin  Oak  ( Quercus  palustris , Linn.)  50  to  120  feet  high. 
Graceful,  pyramidal  tree,  becoming  irregular,  with  slender, 
horizontal  branches,  and  abundant  spur-like  twigs,  — the 
“pins”  in  this  oak’s  name.  Buds  small,  pointed.  Bark  gray- 
brown,  scaly;  twigs  red,  fuzzy.  Wood  hard,  tough,  heavy, 
brown,  coarse-grained.  Leaves  4 to  5 inches  long,  deeply  5-  to 
7-lobed,  with  wide,  deep  sinuses,  shining  above,  dull  and  paler 
beneath,  turning  red  in  autumn;  petioles  flexible.  Flowers 
May,  on  new  shoots:  staminate  in  clustered  catkins;  pistillate 
paired,  on  short  stalks.  Acorns  streaked,  shorter  than  broad, 
in  saucers  of  close,  red  scales;  kernel  white,  bitter,  mature 
second  autumn.  Dist.:  Low,  moist  soil,  Massachusetts  to 
Delaware;  west  to  Wisconsin  and  Arkansas. 


K7 


Scarlet  Oak  ( Quercus  coccinea,  Muench.).  70  to  160  feet. 
Slender,  symmetrical  tree,  with  graceful,  curving  branches 
above  tapering  trunk,  forming  round  head.  Bark  brown,  or 
gray,  rough,  scaly,  shallowly  fissured;  inner  layers  red;  twigs 
green,  scurfy,  becoming  smooth  red.  Wood  reddish  brown, 
coarse,  heavy,  of  rapid  growth,  used  for  lumber,  classed  with 
the  preceding  species.  Leaves  thin,  shiny,  oval  or  obovate, 
cleft  by  deep,  rounded  sinuses  into  5 to  7 spreading,  bristly 
subdivided  lobes;  length  3 to  6 inches.  Upper  surface 
smooth,  shining;  lower  paler,  smooth,  or  tufted  with  hairs 
on  veins.  Autumn  color,  scarlet.  Petioles  slender.  Flowers 
red,  pubescent,  delicate,  of  the  usual  oak  types.  Acorns 
stalked,  solitary  or  in  pairs,  less  than  an  inch  long, 
taper-pointed,  or  rounded  in  trim,  close-scaled  cup;  kernel 
white,  bitter.  Dist.:  Dry,  rich  soil,  Maine  to  Florida;  west 
to  Minnesota,  Nebraska,  and  Missouri.  Favorite  shade  and 
ornamental  oak. 


8*5 


Black  Oak;  Yellow  Oak;  Yellow  Bark  Oak  ( Quercus 
velutina , Lam.).  70  to  90  feet;  rarely  150  feet.  Irregular, 
rugged  oak  with  narrow  head  of  slender  branches,  ending 
in  velvety,  stout  twigs,  with  large,  hoary  tomentose  winter 
buds.  Bark  black,  or  nearly  so,  thick,  deeply  furrowed, 
with  inner  layers  deep  o-^nge-yellow,  rich  in  tannin,  which 
extends  to  the  twig^.  Wood  light  reddish  brown,  coarse- 
grained, hard,  heavy,  not  tough,  used  in  general  construction, 
furniture,  and  cooperage.  Bark  for  tanning.  Leaves  4 to  10 
inches  long,  coarse,  harsh,  leathery  in  texture,  dark  green 
above,  brownish  with  short  velvet  or  tufts  of  hair  in  angles 
of  veins.  Lobes  7 to  9,  deeply  cut,  broad,  with  rounded  si- 
nuses and  bristly  points  not  inclining  toward  apex  of  leaf. 
At  first,  red,  velvety  with  silvery  sheen;  in  autumn  brownish 
yellow.  Flowers  May,  profuse  or  scant,  with  red  forked 
stigmas  and  yellow  catkin  fringes.  Acorns  biennial,  solitary 
or  paired,  short-stalked;  nut  ovoid,  smooth,  in  cup  of  loose 
scales,  fringed  at  rim,  which  is  not  incurved.  Kernel  bitter, 
yellow.  Dist.:  Rich  soil,  Maine  to  Florida;  west  to  Minne- 
sota, Kansas,  and  Texas. 


89 


Turkey  Oak  (Quercus  Catesboei , Michx.).  20  to  30  feet, 
rarely  60  feet.  Round-topped  tree  of  stout,  angular  branches, 
often  shrubby.  Bark  dark  gray,  with  reddish  under  layers, 
broken  into  scaly  plates.  Wood  reddish  brown,  close-grained, 
heavy,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  oblong,  or  triangular,  deeply 
cleft  by  wide,  rounded  sinuses,  into  3 to  7 elongated,  sickle- 
shaped,  bristly-pointed  lobes;  thick,  stiff,  yellow-green,  shin- 
ing, paler  beneath,  with  tufts  of  hairs  in  angles  of  veins. 
Length  and  breadth  about  5 inches,  average.  Acorns  oval 
about  1 inch  long,  brown,  with  white  tomentum  at  apex,  set 
in  shallow,  turbinated,  thin  cup.  Dist.:  Dry,  sandy  ridges 
North  Carolina  to  Florida;  west  to  Louisiana. 


00 


Spanish  Oak  ( Quercus  digitata , Sudw.).  70  to  80  feet. 
Round-headed,  open  tree,  with  stout  branches,  coated  with 
orange,  clammy  tomentum,  like  the  young  leaves.  Bark 
brown,  cleft  into  broad,  scaly  ridges;  branches  ashy  or  brown. 
Wood  hard,  light  red,  coarse,  strong,  used  locally  in  building 
and  for  fuel.  Leaves  oblong  or  obovate,  often  with  no  lobes 
at  all;  normally  cut  by  deep,  wide,  rounded  sinuses  into  3 to 
7 narrow,  long,  often  curved  rarely  toothed  lobes;  thin,  flex- 
ible, firm,  lustrous,  dark  green  above,  pale  or  rusty  pubescent 
below;  petioles  slender,  flat,  drooping.  Acorns  rounded  at 
top  and  base,  J inch  long,  orange-brown,  set  for  J of  length 
in  thin,  saucer-shaped,  flat-bottomed  cup.  Dist.:  Dry,  up- 
land ridges  and  swampy  land,  southern  New  Jersey  to  central 
Florida;  west  to  Missouri  and  Texas. 


91 


Bear  Oak;  Scrub  Oak  ( Quercus  nana , Sarg.).  10  to  20 
feet.  Scrubby,  round-topped,  many-branched  tree,  in  thick- 
ets; trunks  5 to  6 inches  in  diameter.  Bark  smooth,  brown, 
with  scaly  surface.  Wood  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  obovate, 
wedge-shaped  at  base,  with  3 large  lobes  near  apex,  holly-like, 
spiny  tips  on  lobes;  thick,  firm,  dark  green  above,  tomentose, 
silvery  below,  2 to  5 inches  long.  Scarlet  in  autumn.  Acorns 
abundant,  small,  half  covered  with  the  fringed  red-brown 
cups.  Eaten  by  bears.  Dist.:  Dry,  sandy  barrens  and 
ridges,  Maine  to  Virginia  and  Kentucky. 


,92 


Black  Jack;  Barren  Oak;  Jack  Oak  ( Quercus  Mari- 
landica , Muench.).  20  to  50  feet.  Black-trunked,  contorted, 
spreading  shrub  or  tree  with  open,  irregular  head,  the  stout 
branchlets  coated  with  pale,  thick  tomentum,  of  articulate 
and  stellate  hairs,  giving  a rough  feeling.  Bark  nearly  black, 
in  squarish  plates,  scaly.  Wood  heavy,  hard,  strong,  brown, 
used  for  fuel  and  charcoal.  Leaves  broadly  obovate,  wedge- 
shaped  basal  half,  the  apex  broadening  into  3 lobes,  plain  or 
wavy  margins,  and  bristly  tips;  firm,  thick,  orange-scurfy  be- 
neath; 6 to  7 inches  long  and  broad.  Petioles  stout.  Acorns 
single  or  paired,  f inch  long,  rounded,  yellow-brown,  often 
striped,  deep  in  a reddish-brown,  loose-scaled  cup  lined  with 
fuzz,  thick-rimmed.  Dist.:  New  York  to  Nebraska;  south  to 
Florida  and  Texas.  Dry,  sandy  or  clay  barrens. 


93 


Water  Oak  ( Quercus  nigra , Linn.).  30  to  80  feet.  Sym- 
metrical, round-topped  tree,  with  slender,  smooth  branches 
and  close-textured,  reddish-brown  bark.  Wood  brown,  heavy, 
used  for  fuel.  Leaves  wedge-shaped,  thin,  dull  bluish-green 
above,  pale  beneath,  with  axillary  tufts  of  rusty  hairs;  apex 
broadening  into  3 lobes,  with  wavy  margins,  often  almost  en- 
tire; on  upper  part  of  the  tree  leaves  are  often  narrow  and 
deeply  cleft  as  a red-oak  leaf,  but  small;  length  2 to  5 inches. 
Acorns  small,  squat,  striate,  light  yellow-brown,  enclosed 
only  at  base  by  a thin,  saucer-like  cup  of  red-brown  scales. 
Dist.:  Swamps  and  stream  borders,  Delaware  to  Florida;  west 
to  the  Appalachian  Mountains;  Gulf  States  to  Texas;  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  from  Gulf  to  Missouri  and  Kentucky.  Favorite 
shade  tree  in  South. 


94 


Willow  Oak  ( Quercus  phellos , Linn.).  70  to  80  feet. 
Graceful,  tall,  quick-growing  oak,  with  narrow,  round  head  of 
slender  branches.  Bark  light  red-brown,  with  scaly  surface 
and  shallow  fissures.  Wood  soft,  coarse-grained,  heavy,  used 
in  construction,  for  wheel  fellies,  and  clapboards.  Leayes 
leathery,  willow-like,  with  an  occasional  side  lobe  and  a mi- 
nute spiny  tip;  glossy  green  above,  paler,  dull  beneath;  2 to  5 
inches  long;  petioles  short.  Flowers  delicate,  hairy,  of  the 
oak  type.  Acorns  few,  solitary,  or  paired,  J inch  across,  flat- 
based,  in  thin,  saucer-like  cup  of  thin,  hairy,  reddish-brown 
scales;  kernel  bitter.  Dist.:  Wet  ground,  swamps,  coast 
belt  Staten  Island  to  Florida  and  along  Gulf  coast  to  Texas; 
north  along  river  to  Kentucky  and  Missouri.  Fine  shade  and 
ornamental  tree,  much  planted  in  Southern  cities. 


<JA 


Shingle  Oak;  Laurel  Oak  ( Quercus  imbricaria , Michx.). 
60  to  100  feet.  Tall,  pyramidal  tree,  becoming  round-head- 
ed and  picturesque,  with  pendulous  branches  and  slender, 
ruddy  twigs.  Bark  light  brown,  scaly,  with  shallow  fissures 
and  wide  ridges.  Wood  reddish  brown,  coarse-grained,  heavy, 
used  for  clapboards  and  shingles.  Leaves  oblong,  usually  entire, 
acute  at  base  and  apex,  with  thickened,  often  wavy  marg'n, 
4 to  6 inches  long,  shining,  dark  green  above,  paler,  pubescent 
beneath;  petioles  stout,  short,  hairy.  Flowers  hoary  tomen- 
tose,  of  the  oak  type.  Acorns  biennial,  broad,  short,  on  stout, 
short  stalks;  nut  enclosed  fcr  \ to  § its  length  in  thin,  close- 
rimmed,  scaly,  red-brown  cup.  Dist.:  Bottom  land,  Penn- 
sylvania to  Georgia;  west  to  Nebraska  and  Arkansas.  Planted 
for  its  laurel-like  foliage.  Hardy  to  Boston. 


96 


Water  Oak;  Laurel  Oak  (Quercus  laurifolia,  Michx.).  50 
to  100  feet.  Tall,  graceful,  broad-domed  tree  of  many  slender 
branches.  Trunk  2 to  4 feet  in  diameter.  Bark  brown,  scaly, 
becoming  darker,  roughened  by  irregular  fissures  at  base  of 
trunk.  Branches  reddish,  smooth.  Wood  heavy,  hard,  strong, 
but  making  poor  lumber;  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  leathery,  shin- 
ing, dark  green  above,  paler  beneath;  oblong-oval,  pointed  at 
base  and  apex,  entire  margins,  often  curved  to  sickle  form,  ribs 
and  petiole  yellow;  length  3 to  4 inches.  Acorns  on  short  stalks, 
if  any;  solitary,  fuzzy,  brown,  striped  with  green,  \ inch  long, 
l enclosed  in  thin,  red-brown,  silky  lined  cup.  Dist.:  Swamp 
and  stream  borders;  Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia,  to  Florida;  west 
to  Louisiana.  Largest  and  most  common  in  eastern  Florida. 
Favorite  street  and  yard  tree  in  its  range.  Foliage  near  ever- 
green, rivals  live  oak  in  beauty. 


THE  ELMS  AND  HACKBERRIES 


1.  Genus  ULMUS,  Linn. 

Trees  of  horticultural  and  lumber  value.  Leaves  alternate 
serrate,  unequal  at  base,  with  strong  ribs  and  short  petioles. 
Flowers  greenish,  inconspicuous,  perfect.  Fruit  a dry  nutlet 
with  thin  encircling  wing,  bearing  two  hooks  at  apex. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Blooming  before  the  leaves  in  spring. 

B.  Twigs  smooth. 

C.  Branches  corky  winged. 

(U.  alata)  Wahoo  or  Winged  Elm 
CC.  Branches  not  corky  winged. 

(JJ.  Americana)  American  or  Water  Elm 
BB.  Twigs  pubescent. 

C.  Branches  corky.  ( U . Thomasi ) Cork  Elm 

CC.  Branches  not  corky;  leaves  rough  above;  twigs 
and  buds  with  coarse,  rusty  hairs. 

( U . fulva)  Slippery  Elm 

08 


2.  Genus  CELTIS,  Linn. 

Valuable  shade  trees.  Leaves  simple,  3-nerved,  serrate. 
Flowers  polygamo-monoecious,  axillary,  small.  Fruit  sweet, 
succulent  berry. 

A.  Leaves  coarsely  and  sharply  serrate;  fruit  large. 

( C . Occidentalis)  Hackberry 
AA.  Leaves  entire  or  obscurely  serrate;  fruit  small. 

( C . M ississippiensis)  Sugarberry 

3.  Genus  PLANERA,  Gmel. 


Slippery  Elm;  Red  Elm  (Ulmus  fulva,  Michx.).  60  to  70 
feet.  Fast-growing  tree,  with  erect,  spreading  branches, 
forming  broad,  open  head.  Twigs  stout,  rusty,  downy,  with 
large,  rusty  buds.  Bark  brown,  rough,  scaly,  tinged  red,  inner 
layers  mucilaginous,  sweet.  Wood  heavy,  hard,  cross-grained? 
durable,  easy  to  split,  used  for  posts,  ties,  sills,  farm  imple- 
ments, and  fuel.  Leaves  ovate-oblong,  oblique  at  base, 
abruptly  pointed  at  apex,  coarsely  saw-toothed,  with  horny, 
incurved  teeth,  roughened  by  fine,  sharp  tubercles,  pointing 
toward  apex,  pubescent,  dark  green,  with  pale.,  downy  lining 
and  petiole;  length  5 to  7 inches,  width  2 to  3 inches.  Flowers 
perfect,  small,  in  crowded,  short-stemmed  fascicles,  greenish 
with  red  anthers  and  stigmas,  with  silvery  hairs  throughout. 
April.  Fruit,  May;  rounded,  hairy,  except  on  rim  which 
forms  the  thin,  elongated,  netted- veined  wing,  hooked  at  apex. 
Dist.:  Stream  borders,  New  Brunswick,  Ontario  to  Dakota 
and  Nebraska;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas. 


100 


Rock  Elm,  Cork  Elm  (Ulmus  Thomasi,  Sarg.).  80  to  100 
/eet.  Tall-trunked,  rugged,  stiff-looking  tree  with  narrow, 
round  head.  Bark  shaggy  on  large  limbs  and  trunk,  which  is 
gray  tinged  with  red,  and  irregularly  cleft  into  broad,  flat, 
scaly  ridges.  Twigs  stiff,  pubescent,  with  warty  leaf-scars 
and  lenticels,  at  length  ridged  with  3 or  4 uneven,  corky 
ridges.  Wood  like  that  of  preceding  species  but  superior  in 
strength  and  flexibility.  Used  for  same  purposes.  Leaves  2 
to  2^-  inches  long,  oblong-oval,  pointed  at  both  ends,  scarcely 
oblique,  at  base,  coarsely  saw-toothed,  with  finer  serrations, 
thick,  firm,  smooth  above,  paler,  pubescent  below,  especially 
on  veins.  Flowers  in  drooping  racemes,  each  flower  stalked, 
pubescent,  with  green  calyx  tinged  with  red  toward  its 
5 to  7 cleft  rim.  Fruit  clustered,  each  | inch  long,  ovate, 
flattened,  with  broad  wing  encircling  the  seed.  Ripe  and 
wind-sown  early  in  summer.  Dist.:  Bluffs  and  dry  uplands 
or  low,  heavy  clay  soils,  Quebec  and  Ontario  and  adjoining 
states;  west  to  Nebraska  and  Missouri.  Most  abundant  and 
finest  in  Ontario  and  Michigan. 


101 


Winged  Elm;  Wahoo  ( TJlmus  alata , Michx.).  25  to  50  feet. 
Pretty,  round-headed  or  oblong-headed  tree,  of  slender,  as- 
cending branches,  and  twigs  wearing  2 wide,  thin,  corky 
ridges,  often  \ inch  wide.  Bark  light  reddish  brown,  checked 
into  flat  plates  by  irregular  fissures;  plates  scaly.  Cotton 
bales  tied  with  fibrous  inner  bark.  Wood  like  that  of  other 
elms,  but  not  important  in  the  lumber  trade.  Leaves  ovate- 
oblong,  often  sickle-shaped,  doubly  serrate,  firm,  leathery,  dark 
green,  pale,  soft-pubescent  below,  1 to  2 inches  long,  on  short, 
stout,  fuzzy  petioles.  Flowers  in  drooping  pedicel,  clustered, 
before  leaves  in  early  spring.  Fruit  wind-scattered  at  the 
time  the  leaves  open;  oblong,  | inch  long,  flat,  winged,  hairy, 
with  2 incurved  hooks  at  tip.  Dist.:  Virginia  to  Florida; 
west  to  Illinois  and  Texas.  Gravelly  upland  soil  near  streams 
or  lakes. 

Illustration  from  “Hough? s Handbook  of  Trees ” 


102 


Hackberry;  Nettle  Tree;  Sugar  Berry  ( Celtis  occi- 
dentalisy  Linn.).  50  to  125  feet.  Round-topped  tree,  with 
long,  bare,  slender  trunk.  Twigs  abundant,  bushy,  slender, 
on  pendulous  branches.  Often  bearing  “witches’  brooms.’’ 
Bark  thick,  brown  or  silvery  gray,  broken  into  scaly  plates  by 
the  shallow  fissures,  roughened  by  warty  excrescences  on  trunk 
and  limbs.  Wood  soft,  coarse-grained,  weak,  pale  yellow, 
used  for  fencing  and  for  cheap  furniture.  Leaves  broadly 
ovate,  the  petiole  branching  into  3 main  veins,  2 to  4 inches 
long,  oblique  at  base,  serrate,  above  the  middle,  entire  below; 
thin,  dark  green,  with  downy  lining.  Autumn  color  yellow. 
Flowers  May,  greenish;  staminate  in  clusters  at  base  of  sea- 
son’s growth;  pistillate  solitary,  in  axils  of  leaves,  with  spread- 
ing, cleft  stigmas,  pale  green.  Fruit  oblong,  thin-fleshed  berry, 
purple,  sweet,  hangs  all  winter.  Dist.:  Moist  land  along 
streams  or  swamps;  southern  Canada  to  Puget  Sound;  south 
to  Florida,  Texas,  Missouri,  and  New  Mexico. 

The  southern  hackberry  (C.  Mississippiensis , Bose.)  is  a 
smaller,  more  dainty  edition  of  the  northern  hackberry.  Its 
berry  is  orange,  its  leaves  narrow,  small-margined;  its  range 
Is  the  valley  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers. 

103 


Planer  Tree;  Water  Elm  ( Planera  aquatica , Gmelin), 
BO  to  40  feet.  Little  tree  with  crooked  branches  forming  a 
round,  low  dome  above  the  short  trunk.  Bark  scaly,  thin, 
gray,  shedding  in  flakes,  showing  the  red  lining.  Wood  brown, 
close-grained,  soft,  light,  of  no  use.  Leaves  about  2 inches 
long,  alternate,  2-ranked,  ovate,  often  sickle-shaped,  finely 
scalloped,  pointed,  oblique  at  base,  dull  green,  paler  beneath, 
with  yellow  midrib  and  veins.  Flowers  like  those  of  hack- 
berry,  but  smaller.  February  and  March.  Fruit  a 1-seeded 
drupe  in  dry,  thin,  horny  pericarp;  seed  black.  April.  Dist,: 
Swamp  land,  North  Carolina  to  Florida;  west  to  Missouri 
and  Texas. 


Illustration  from  “Hough's  Handbook  of  Trees ” 


104 


THE  MULBERRIES  AND  THE  OSAGE  ORANGE 

Trees  of  small  or  medium  size,  with  milky  sap.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  deciduous,  variable.  Flowers  minute,  in 
axillary  spikes  or  heads,  dioecious  or  monoecious.  Fruit  com- 
pound, of  many  small,  fleshy  drupes. 

KEY  TO  GENERA  AND  SPECIES 

A.  Leaves  toothed  or  lobed,  with  swollen,  netted  veins; 
fruit  an  edible,  oblong  berry. 

1.  Genus  Morus,  Linn. 

B.  Fruit  purple;  leaves  3 to  5 inches  long. 

(Mo  rubra ) Red  Mulberry 
AA.  Leaves  entire;  fruit  globular. 

B.  Fruit  4 to  5 inches  in  diameter,  inedible. 

2.  Genus  Toxylon,  Raf. 

( T . pomiferum)  Osage  Orange 


105 


Red  Mulberry  ( Morrn  ,vbra , Linn.).  60  to  70  feet 
Round-headed,  dense  tree  with  milky  sap.  Trunk  short; 
branches  stout.  Bark  reddish  brown,  dividing  into  scaly 
plates.  Wood  orange,  light,  coarse,  weak,  durable  in  soil, 
used  for  fencing  and  cooperage.  Leaves  variable  in  form,  3 
to  5 inches  long,  broadly  oval,  saw-toothed,  cordate  at  base, 
thin,  firm,  dark  green  above,  paler  beneath,  roughened  by  pale 
pubescence  above  and  soft  hairs  beneath.  Veins  joined  in  line 
back  of  the  margin.  Flowers  in  stalked,  axillary  spikes,  ap- 
pearing with  leaves-  Fruit  a fleshy,  sweet,  aggregate  of 
calyxes,  about  1 inch  long,  red  when  full  grown,  purple  when 
ripe;  edible,  juicy.  Dist.:  Rich  soil;  Massachusetts  to  On- 
tario, Michigan,  Nebraska,  Kansas;  south  to  Florida  and 
Texas. 


106 


Osage  Orange;  Bow  Wood  ( Toxylon  pomiferumf  Raf.). 
40  to  60  feet.  Round-headed  tree  with  short  trunk,  fleshy 
roots,  stout  thorns,  and  bitter,  milky  sap.  Bark  dark,  scaly, 
deeply  furrowed;  branches  orange  brown;  twigs  fuzzy.  Wood 
orange  yellow,  hard,  heavy,  flexible,  strong,  durable  in  soil, 
used  for  clubs  and  bows  by  Indians;  for  posts,  ties,  piles,  pav- 
ing blocks,  telegraph  poles,  and  for  interior  finish  of  houses. 
Leaves  ovate,  with  entire  margins,  tapering  at  both  ends, 
thick,  shiny,  dark  green  above,  paler  and  dull  beneath,  3 to 
5 inches  long,  turning  yellow  in  autumn;  petioles  long,  slim, 
hairy,  grooved;  thorns  solitary,  in  axils  of  leaves.  Flowers 
dioecious,  greenish,  minute,  in  crowded  clusters,  axillary. 
Fruit  aggregate,  by  union  of  a multitude  of  fleshy,  1-seeded 
drupes,  into  a green  ball,  4 or  5 inches  in  diameter,  filled  with 
milky,  bitter  juice,  and  often  seedless  where  fertile  trees  stand 
far  from  staminate  trees  and  thus  miss  pollenation  of  flowers. 
Dist.:  Deep,  rich  soil;  Southern  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  and 
Texas.  Extensively  planted  for  hedges  and  for  shade  and 
ornament,  but  not  hardy  where  winters  are  severe. 


107 


THE  MAGNOLIAS  AND  THE  TULIP  TREE 


Trees  with  soft,  light  wood  and  fleshy  roots.  Leaves 
large,  simple,  alternate,  entire.  Flowers  large,  showy,  perfect, 
solitary,  terminal,  all  parts  distinct.  Fruit  cone-like,  com- 
pound, of  many  1-  to  2-celled  follicles  or  keys  imbricated  upon 
a central  spike. 

KEY  TO  GENERA  AND  SPECIES 

A.  Leaves  pointed  at  apex;  seeds  scarlet,  berry-like. 

1.  Genus  Magnolia,  Linn. 

B.  Foliage  evergreen,  or  nearly  so. 

C.  Leaf  linings  rusty  pubescent. 

(M.  fcbtida)  Magnolia 
CC.  Leaf  linings  silvery  smooth. 

(. M . glauca)  Swamp  Magnolia 

BB.  Foliage  deciduous. 

C.  Leaves  scattered  along  branchlets. 

D.  Flowers  large,  white;  leaves  15  to  30 
inches  long. 

(M.  macrojphylla)  Large-leaved  Cucumber  Tree 

108 


DD.  Flowers  small,  yellowish  green;  leaves 
6 to  10  inches  long. 

(M.  acuminata ) Cucumber  Tree 
CC.  Leaves  in  whorls  on  ends  of  branchlets. 

D.  Bases  of  leaves  tapering;  calyx  turned 
back. 

(M.  tripetala)  Umbrella  Tree 
DD.  Bases  of  leaves  broadened  into  ear- 
like lobes;  calyx  not  turned  back. 

(M.  Fraseri)  Mountain  Magnolia 
A A.  Leaves  cut  off  square  at  apex;  seeds  dry,  in  winged 
samaras. 

2.  Genus  Liriodendron,  Linn. 

(L.  Tulipifera)  Tulip  Tree 


109 


Magnolia;  Great  Laurel  Magnolia  ( Magnolia  fcetidar 
Sarg.).  50  to  80  feet.  Regular,  conical,  or  pyramidal,  ever- 
green tree  with  small,  spreading  branches  and  pubescent, 
hoary  twigs,  bearing  large,  rusty  winter  buds.  Bark  thin, 
scaly,  brown  or  gray.  Wood  white,  hard,  heavy,  close- 
grained,  turning  brown,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  oblong  or 
ovate,  5 to  8 inches  long,  plain-margined,  leathery,  polished 
dark  green  above,  rusty,  downy  beneath,  persistent  2 years. 
Flowers  April  to  August,  creamy- white,  cup-shaped,  fragrant, 
of  3 sepals  and  6 to  9 petals,  all  waxen,  thick,  surrounding 
many  purple-stemmed  stamens  and  a central  spike  of  pistils 
on  purple  base.  Fruit  a cone,  oval,  rusty  brown,  3 to  4 inches 
long,  erect;  seeds  2 in  capsule,  scarlet,  hung  out  when  ripe 
on  flexible  thread;  seeds  ripe  in  November.  Ornamental  tree 
cultivated  extensively  in  all  temperate  countries.  Hardy  in 
Boston. 


110 


Umbrella  Tree;  Elkwood  (Magnolia  tripetala,  Linn.). 
30  to  40  feet.  Conical  or  round-topped  tree  with  stout,  con- 
torted branches.  Bark  gray,  thin,  smooth,  with  bristle-like 
warts.  Buds  1 to  2 inches  long.  Wood  weak,  pale  brown, 
soft,  of  no  use.  Leaves  16  to  20  inches  long,  obovate,  acute, 
entire,  tapering  narrowly  to  the  stout  petiole;  bright  green, 
smooth,  thin,  silky  when  they  open.  Flowers  white,  cup- 
shaped, 4 to  5 inches  deep,  of  unpleasant  odor,  soon  spread- 
ing wide  open,  the  3 sepals  recurved.  Fruit  a smooth,  rose- 
colored  cone,  oblong,  2 to  4 inches  long;  seeds  | inch  long. 
Dist.:  Pennsylvania  to  southern  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and 
Arkansas;  Atlantic  States,  nearly  to  coast.  Cultivated  in 
Eastern  States. 


Ill 


Large-leaved  Cucumber  Tree  ( Magnolia  macrophylla . 
Michx.).  30  to  50  feet.  Broad,  round-headed  tree  with  slender 
trunk,  branches  stout,  ending  in  snowy-tomentose  buds  1 to 
2 inches  long.  Bark  thin,  gray,  with  minute  scales.  Wood 
pale  brown,  close-textured,  weak,  of  no  use  as  lumber.  Leaves 
simple,  16  to  30  inches  long,  8 to  10  inches  wide,  obovate, 
rounded  or  acute  at  apex,  deeply  heart-shaped  at  base,  or 
prolonged  into  ear-like  lobes;  margin  entire;  bright  green, 
smooth  above,  silvery  white,  pubescent  below;  veins  promi- 
nent; petioles  stout.  Flowers  white,  with  purple  spot  at  base 
of  inner  petals;  cup-shaped,  10  to  12  inches  across,  fragrant, 
petals  broad,  at  length  flaring,  and  sepals  reflexed.  Fruit 
an  almost  globular  cone,  2 to  3 inches  long,  pubescent,  turning 
red  as  it  ripens;  seeds  § of  an  inch  long,  scarlet,  hung  on  threads. 
Dist.:  Foothills  of  Alleghenies  in  North  Carolina  south  to 
Florida;  west  to  Mississippi  and  Arkansas,  in  scattered  groups. 
Planted  for  ornament,  and  as  a curiosity  for  its  huge  leaves 
and  flowers.  Hardy  in  Boston. 


112 


Ear- leaved  Magnolia;  Long-leaved  Cucumber  Tree 
( Magnolia  Fraseri , Walt.).  30  to  40  feet.  Low,  broad- 
crowned  tree,  with  slender,  often  leaning  trunk,  or  many  small 
stems  spreading  from  the  ground.  Branches  angular,  stout, 
with  brittle  twigs,  tipped  with  purple  buds,  1|  to  2 inches  long. 
Bark  thin,  brown,  with  warty  patches.  Wood  brownish-yel- 
low, weak,  soft.  Leaves  smooth,  bright  green,  obovate,  acute, 
with  pointed,  ear-shaped  lobes  at  base,  entire  margin:  10  to 
12  inches  long,  half  as  wide.  Flowers  creamy  white,  spread- 
ing and  recurving  the  three  sepals;  8 to  10  inch  across,  fra- 
grant; petals  with  narrow,  tapering  bases.  Fruit  a narrow 
cone,  4 to  5 inches  long,  carpels  rose-colored,  with  horny  tips; 
seeds  f inch  long,  scarlet,  suspended  on  threads.  Dist.:  Along 
mountain  streams,  Appalachian  valleys,  Virginia  to  Tennessee, 
Georgia,  Alabama,  and  northern  Mississippi.  Largest  and 
most  abundant  near  headwaters  of  Savannah  River  in  South 
Carolina.  Hardy  in  Northern  States.  Planted  for  ornament. 


113 


HOW  TO  TELL  MAGNOLIAS  WHEN  IN  FLOWER 
Popular  Native  and  Exotic  Kinds 
A simple  key  for  the  tree  lover;  free  from  technicalities 


and  especially  designed  for  use  out-of-doors: 

Blooming  before  the  leaves. 

Color  of  flowers  pure  white  or  nearly  so. 

Shape  of  flowers  bell-like yulan 

Shape  of  flowers  star-like. 

Petals  9 to  18,  pink  streaked 

OUtside STELLATA 

Petals  6,  pure  white kobus 

Color  of  flowers  pink  to  purple  outside. 

Size  of  flowers  large,  6 to  10  inches. 

Hardy soulangeana 

Tender campbelli 

Size  of  flowers  about  3|  inches obovata 

Blooming  after  the  leaves. 

Color  of  flowers  greenish acuminata 

Color  of  flowers  white,  with  conspicuous 
color  in  centre. 


114 


The  petals  purple-spotted  at  base macrophylla 

The  stamens  with  scarlet  filaments. 

Leaves  mostly  clustered  at 

ends  of  branches.  . . hypoleuca 
Leaves  scattered  along  the 

branches watsoni 

Color  of  flowers  pure  white. 

Size  of  flowers  small  (1  to  3 inches  across). 

Shrub  or  tree,  10  to  70  feet 

high GLAUCA 

Shrub,  usually  4 to  5 feet 

high PUMILA 

Size  of  flowers  large,  6 to  9 inches 
across. 

Foliage  evergreen fcetida 

Foliage  deciduous. 

Leaves  eared  at  base fraseri 

Leaves  not  eared  at  base tripet  ala 


115 


h i 


Papaw  (Asimina  triloba , Dunal).  20  to  30  feet 
Slender,  spreading  tree  or  shrub,  with  grooved  branches, 
and  sap  with  heavy,  disagreeable  odor.  Bark  thin,  brown, 
blotched  with  gray,  cut  by  a network  of  shallow  grooves 
with  warty  outgrowths  between.  Used  for  fishnets.  Wood 
light,  coarse-grained,  soft,  worthless. . Leaves  clustered  near 
ends  of  twigs,  simple,  obovate,  tapering  to  base,  acute,  entire 
margin,  thin,  bright  green,  paler  beneath,  8 ta  12  inches  long, 
half  as  wide,  petiole  short.  Flowers  in  April,  solitary  in 
axils  of  last  year’s  leaves,  purple,  ill-smelling,  cup-shaped,  with 
3 widest  petals  forming  a saucer.  Fruit  banana-like,  but 
rather  shapeless;  skin  brown,  wrinkled,  covers  yellow,  sweet, 
insipid  flesh  which  surrounds  large,  hard  seeds.  Dist.:  Rich 
bottom  land,  New  York  to  Michigan  and  Kansas;  south  tc 
Florida  and  Texas;  common  in  Mississippi  Valley. 


116 


THE  WITCH  HAZEL  AND  THE  SWEET  GUM 

Trees  with  slender  twigs  and  fibrous  roots.  Leaves  simple, 
opposite,  deciduous.  Flowers  with  parts  in  four’s,  perfect  or 
unisexual.  Fruits  woody  2-valved,  1 to  2-seeded  capsules. 

KEY  TO  GENERA  AND  SPECIES 

A.  Leaves  obovate,  unequal  at  base;  flowers  perfect, 
autumnal. 

1.  Genus  HAMAMELIS,  Linn. 

( H . Virginiana)  Witch  Hazel 
A A.  Leaves  star-shaped,  symmetrical  at  base;  flower 
monoecious,  staminate  in  terminal  racemes,  pis- 
tillate in  axillary,  long-stalked  heads,  in  early  summer. 

2.  Genus  LIQUIDAMBAR,  Linn. 

( L . Styraciflua ) Sweet  Gum 


UT 


THE  SYCAMORES 
Genus  PLATANUS,  Linn. 

Large,  ornamental,  deciduous  trees,  with  smooth  limbs 
from  which  whitish  bark  peels  in  irregular  flakes.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  palmately  lobed.  Flowers  monoecious  in 
pendant  heads.  Fruits  swinging,  many-seeded  balls,  hanging 
all  winter. 

KEY  TO  EASTERN  SPECIES 

A.  Fruits  solitary,  rarely  2;  leaves  with  shallow  sinuses, 
broader  than  long;  seeds  blunt. 

(P.  occidentalis)  Sycamore 
A. A.  Fruits  2 to  4 on  each  stem;  seeds  pointed;  leaves  deeply 
lobed,  broader  than  long.  (Exotic.) 

(P.  orientalis ) Oriental  Plane 


118 


Sycamore;  Buttonwood;  American  Plane  Tree  ( Plat- 
anus  occidenialis,  Linn.)*  75  to  150  feet.  Large,  stately,  but 
unsymmetrical  tree,  with  stout,  tall  trunk,  and  loose,  broad 
head.  Bark  brown  with  small  scales  on  the  trunk;  on  branches 
smooth,  whitish  blotched  with  olive  green,  shedding  in  irreg- 
ular plates.  Buds  solitary,  conical,  developed  under  the 
hollow  base  of  the  leaf  stalk.  Leaves  broader  than  long,  3 to 
5 lobed,  7 to  9 inches  across,  pale  beneath,  and  fuzzy  on  veins. 
Stems  short,  with  a ruffled  sheath  at  base.  Flowers  May, 
monoecious,  both  kinds  in  globular  heads  on  flexible,  tough 
stems.  Staminate  axillary,  red;  pistillate  terminal,  green, 
with  red  stigmas.  Fruit  dry,  swinging  balls,  3 inches  in  diam- 
eter, composed  of  crowded,  pointed  seeds,  which  gradually 
are  freed,  and  carried  away  by  wind.  Dist. : Maine  to  Minne- 
sota and  Nebraska;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas.  Preferred 
habitat,  rich,  wet  bottom  land.  Excellent  shade  tree  for 
cities,  especially  smoky  ones;  foliage  endures  noxious  gases. 
Wood  preferred  for  butchers’  blocks,  tobacco  boxes,  etc. 


119 


THE  COLOR  PLATES 


The  color  illustrations  in  this  book,  together  with  their  individual  descriptions,  have  been 
taken  from  their  respective  classifications  and  grouped  together  on  pages  121  to  152  inclu- 
sive. Fuller  descriptive  matter  of  the  several  species  appears  on  the  pages  given  below: 


Apple,  pp.  153-155 
Ash,  pp.  229-237 
Birch,  pp.  65-69 
Chestnut,  pp.  75-76 
Dogwood,  pp.  220-224 
Elm,  pp.  98-104 
Haw,  pp.  158-174 


Holly,  pp.  199-203 
Laurel,  pp.  225-226 
Linden,  pp.  217-219 
Locust,  pp.  185;  188 
Magnolia,  pp.  108-115 
Maple,  pp.  205-211 
Oak,  pp.  77-97 


Pine,  pp.  3-14 
Poplar,  pp.  47-54 
Rhododendron,  pp.  225-226 
Service-Berries,  p.  157 
Sweet  Gum,  p.  117 
Tulip  Tree,  pp.  108-109 
Witch  Hazel,  p.  117 


120 


THE  CONEBEARERS 

White  Pine  ( Pinus  strobus,  Linn.).  100  to  125  feet. 
Handsome  evergreen  tree,  the  central  shaft  bearing  regular 
whorls  of  horizontal  branches,  five  in  a whorl.  Branches 
smooth,  ending  in  flexible  twigs  clothed  with  blue-green  plumes 
of  foliage.  Bark  gray,  furrowed  between  broad,  scaly  ridges. 
Wood  soft,  fine-grained,  resinous,  creamy  white,  easy  to  work. 
Buds  scaly,  set  in  5’s  around  a stronger  bud,  the  leader,  that 
prolongs  the  branch.  Leaves  3 to  5 inches  long,  needle-like, 
in  bundles  of  five,  in  a basal  sheath  of  thin  scales.  Flowers 
monoecious:  staminate,  clustered  catkins,  discharging  yellow 
pollen  dust  in  June;  pistillate  pinkish  or  purple  cones,  single 
or  paired,  near  ends  of  shoots,  erect.  Fruit  cones,  5 to  8 
inches  long,  with  thin,  unarmed  scales,  pendent,  opening  at 
end  of  second  summer  to  release  two  winged  seeds  under  each 
scale.  Dist.:  Newfoundland  to  Manitoba;  south  to  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  and  Georgia.  Once  the  chief  lumber  tree  of  the 
country,  but  now  scarce,  from  the  cutting  of  virgin  forests. 
Much  planted  as  an  ornamental  conifer. 


121 


mmmm 


Yellow  Birch;  Gray  Birch  ( Betula  lutea , Michx.).  50  .to 
75  feet;  rarely  100  feet.  Medium-sized,  broad,  round-topped 
tree  with  drooping  branchlets.  Bark  rough,  gray,  or  brown, 
deeply  furrowed  into  plates  coated  with  the  silky  yellow 
epidermis  that  curls  and  persists  for  years,  limbs  smooth, 
with  same  silvery  yellow,  frayed  into  ribbons;  twigs  pubescent 
the  first  season.  Wood  brownish  red,  hard,  close-grained, 
strong,  used  for  furniture,  finish  of  houses,  wheel  hubs,  but- 
tons, boxes,  and  fuel.  Leaves  3 to  4 inches  long,  ovate  to 
oblong,  pointed,  saw-toothed,  oblique  at  base,  dull,  dark 
green,  paler  beneath,  turning  yellow.  Flowers  before  leaves, 
April,  in  catkins,  monoecious:  staminate  in  3’s,  3 to  4 inches 
long,  brownish  yellow,  pendulous,  with  abundant  pollen; 
pistillate  less  than  an  inch  long,  cylindrical,  green,  turning 
rosy,  hairy-tipped.  Fruit  stout,  oblong  or  ovoid  cones, 
erect,  on  short  stems,  scales  triangular,  3-cleft  at  top;  seed 
heart-shaped,  with  narrow,  circular  wing.  Dist.:  Moist  up- 
land soil,  Newfoundland  to  New  England,  Delaware,  North 
Carolina,  and  Tennessee;  west  to  Minnesota.  Largest  size 
and  most  abundant  in  New  England  and  eastern  Canada. 


122 


Red  Birch;  River  Birch  ( Betula  nigra , Linn.).  60  to  90 
feet.  Handsome,  round-headed  tree,  becoming  irregular 
and  picturesque  when  aged.  Limbs  slender,  often  twisted, 
drooping  below.  Bark  furrowed,  brownish  red,  with  irreg- 
ular plates  coated  with  silky  reddish  outer  bark,  like  that  which 
covers  the  smooth  limbs;  twigs  coated  with  thick,  reddish 
tomentum  the  first  season.  Wood  light  brown,  fine-grained, 
strong,  light,  hard,  used  for  furniture,  wooden  shoes,  in  turned 
work  of  all  sorts,  and  for  fuel.  Leaves  ovate,  acute,  doubly 
serrate,  1 to  3 inches  long,  thin,  shining  dark  green  above, 
yellow-green  beneath,  petioles  short,  fuzzy,  flat.  Flowers 
before  leaves,  March,  as  described  in  preceding  species. 
Fruit  ripe  in  June,  erect,  cylindrical  cones,  hairy,  1 to  2 inches 
long  with  bracts  3-fingered  at  top,  and  oval,  hairy,  broad- 
winged nutlet.  Dist. : Along  lake  shores,  swamps,  and  river- 
courses,  Massachusetts  to  Florida,  west  to  Texas;  following 
Mississippi  River  from  Minnesota  to  the  Gulf;  also  in  Ohio, 
southern  Wisconsin  and  eastern  Nebraska.  Desirable  orna- 
mental tree.  Planted  in  copses  to  hold  banks  from  washing. 


123 


Norway  Maple  ( Acer  platanoides) . A round-headed 
dense  tree,  very  quick  and  vigorous  of  growth  in  the  United 
States,  with  dark  green,  smooth  broad  leaves,  5-lobed,  re- 
motely toothed,  with  milky  sap,  scarcely  paler  beneath,  5 to  6 
inches  long  and  broad,  turning  clear  yellow  before  falling. 
Flowers  yellow-green,  in  flat  clusters,  after  leaves,  in  May,  fol- 
lowed by  pairs  of  thin,  broad-winged  keys  spreading  to  almost 
opposite  position,  and  joining  in  a straight  line  between  the 
seed  ends.  Red-leaved  varieties  are  also  much  planted. 
One  of  the  best  maples  for  avenue  planting  and  for  home 
grounds. 


Color  illustration  of  October  woods. 


124 


Holly  ( Ilex  opaca , Ait.).  15  to  45  feet.  A sturdy  tree 
with  narrow  pyramidal  head  of  short,  slender  limbs,  and  stout, 
twigs,  pubescent  at  first  with  fine,  red  hairs.  Bark  gray, 
warty;  on  branches  brown.  Wood  white,  close-grained, 
tough,  light,  much  used  and  valued  in  turnery  and  inlay  work, 
for  engravers’  blocks,  etc.  Leaves  simple,  alternate,  leathery, 
elliptical  or  obovate,  2 to  4 inches  long,  with  wavy  margins, 
the  veins  prolonged  into  sharp  spines;  evergreen,  persistent 
for  three  years,  falling  in  spring.  Flowers  dioecious,  small, 
white,  in  axillary,  short-stalked  cymes;  staminate  trees 
with  more  abundant  bloom  than  pistillate.  Fruit  berry-like, 
red,  rarely  yellow,  in  late  autumn;  nutlets  4,  ribbed.  Dist.: 
Shady,  moist  woods,  Maine  to  Florida,  west  to  Missouri  and 
Texas.  Largest  in  Texas.  Branches  cut  commercially  for 
Christmas  greens. 


125 


Quaking  Asp;  Aspen  ( Populus  tremuloides , Michx.).  40 
to  80  and  100  feet.  Slender,  round-topped  tree,  with  stout, 
angular  branches,  and  slender  twigs  set  with  small,  waxy  buds. 
Bark  rough,  dark,  with  flat  ridges  and  deep  furrows,  becoming 
paler  on  limbs,  which  are  subtended  by  broad,  black,  rough 
scars;  small  branches  pale  gray,  or  white,  with  warty  excres- 
cences. Wood  light  brown,  soft,  weak,  not  heavy  nor  durable, 
used  for  fuel.  Leaves  lj  to  inches  long,  ovate  or  almost 
circular,  with  straight  base  and  pointed  apex;  margin  evenly 
saw-toothed;  surface  smooth,  dark  green,  shining,  pale  yellow- 
green  beneath;  petiole  slender,  flattened.  Flowers  dioecious, 
March;  catkins  2 to  3 inches  long,  each  flower  on  a lobed  and 
silky  fringed  scale.  Fruit  in  May;  capsules  oblong.  Dist.: 
Sandy,  dry  soil,  Newfoundland  to  Alaska,  south  to  New  Jersey, 
Kentucky,  and  Nebraska;  on  high  altitudes  following  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  coast  ranges  almost  throughout.  Es- 
pecially valuable  cover  of  forest  land  swept  by  fire,  serving 
as  nurse  tree  to  conifers  and  hardwoods. 


126 


Chestnut  ( Castanea  dentata , Borkh.).  60  to  100  feet.  Sym- 
metrical, thick-topped  tree  with  oblong  head  above  stocky 
trunk,  covered  with  gray-brown  bark,  in  scaly  flat  ridges, 
between  shallow  fissures.  Wood  coarse-grained,  brown, 
weak,  but  durable  in  contact  with  soil.  Used  for  posts, 
railroad  ties,  and  for  furniture  and  inside  finish  of  houses. 
Buds  plump,  set  askew  on  the  browTn  twigs.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, 6 to  8 inches  long,  narrow,  tapering,  saw-toothed, 
strongly  ribbed,  short-stemmed,  turning  yellow  in  fall.  Flow- 
ers monoecious,  July;  stamina te  in  yellow,  spike-like  catkins, 
4 to  6 inches  long;  pistillate  solitary  or  few  in  cluster  at  base 
of  new  shoot,  green,  prickly,  with  spreading,  forked  stigmas. 
Fruit  2 or  3 smooth  thin-shelled  nuts  in  spiny  bur  that  parts 
when  ripe  into  4 valves.  Dist.:  Southern  Maine  to  Michigan ; 
south  to  Delaware  and  Indiana;  on  mountains  to  Alabama  and 
Mississippi.  Valuable  for  shade  and  ornamental  planting, 
for  lumber  and  nuts. 


127 


Red  Oak  ( Quercus  rubra , Linn.).  50  to  150  feet.  Large, 
spreading,  round-domed  tree,  with  stout  branches  and  slender 
twigs.  Bark  reddish  brown,  tinged  with  gray,  furrowed 
deeply  between  broad,  broken  ridges;  twigs  red,  smooth,  after 
leaves  fall.  Wood  reddish  brown,  coarse-grained,  heavy, 
hard,  strong,  with  large  rings  and  medullary  rays;  used  in 
construction  and  finish  of  houses,  for  furniture,  cooperage,  and 
fuel.  Inferior  to  white  oak.  Leaves  5 to  9 inches  long,  thin, 
oblong  or  obovate,  variable  in  shape,  with  7 to  9 triangular 
lobes,  set  off  by  triangular  sinuses,  tipped  by  teeth  and  bristly 
points.  Upper  surface  smooth,  dull  green  above,  yellow- 
green,  tufted  with  rusty  hairs  below.  Red  in  autumn.  Flow- 
ers May,  stamina te  catkins  4 to  5 inches  long,  clustered,  hairy; 
pistillate  on  short  2-  to  3-flowered  stalks;  stigmas  green,  long. 
Scorns  ripe  second  autumn,  large,  1 to  1|  inches  long,  broad 
at  base,  set  in  shallow,  scaly  saucer,  reddish  brown,  fuzzy- 
lined.  Kernel  bitter,  white.  Dist.:  Stream  borders,  rich 
woodlands,  Nova  Scotia  to  Minnesota;  south  to  Georgia, 
Tennessee,  and  Kansas.  Yields  tanbark.  Superb,  quick- 
growing shade  and  ornamental  tree. 


128 


Mountain  Ash  ( Sorbus  Americana , Marsh.).  Shrub  to 
30  feet.  Low  shrub,  or  slender  tree,  with  narrow,  open  round 
head,  of  stout  branchlets.  Bark  smooth  brown  or  gray,  shed- 
ding in  thin  scales;  twigs  fuzzy.  Wood  pale  brown,  weak, 
close-grained;  sap  wood  of  many  layers;  pith  large  in  twigs. 
Leaves  compound,  of  feather  type,  6 to  8 inches  long,  of  13  to  17 
leaflets  each  2 to  3 inches  long,  and  narrow  as  a willow  leaf,  saw- 
toothed, thin,  dark  yellow-green,  paler  lining,  stout  midribs. 
Flowers  in  dense,  flat  cymes,  3 to  4 inches  across,  after  leaves; 
fragrant,  small,  perfect,  creamy  white,  of  the  rose  type.  May, 
June.  Fruit  small,  roundish,  fleshy  pome,  acid,  scarlet,  with 
bony  seeds,  persistent  all  winter.  Dist.:  Rich,  moist  soil, 
swamp  borders  and  rocky  hillsides;  Newfoundland  to  Mani- 
toba; south  on  highlands  to  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee. 
A shrub  south  of  New  England  and  the  Great  Lakes  region. 
Planted  for  ornament  and  to  feed  the  birds  in  winter. 


129 


The  European  Mountain  Ash , or  Rowan-tree , is  the  one  most 
commonly  planted,  as  the  nurserymen  all  have  it  in  stock. 
It  is  less  wayward  in  form  than  its  wild  cousin.  A popular 
lawn  tree  in  Canada  and  the  Northern  States. 


130 


The  Rough-leaved  Dogwood  (C.  asperifolia , Michx.). 
has  long  been  classed  among  the  shrubby  Species.  It  becomes 
tree-like  in  southern  Arkansas  and  eastern  Texas,  sometimes 
reaching  a height  of  50  feet.  As  a shrub  it  is  distributed  from 
Ontario  to  Minnesota  and  Nebraska,  and  south  into  the  Gulf 
States. 

The  leaves  are  dark  green,  paler  below  and  often  softly 
pubescent,  but  made  rough  above  by  stubby  white  hairs. 
This  is  the  only  tree  dogwood  with  white  berries,  so  it  is  easily 
identified  by  leaf  and  fruit. 

Color  illustration  of  Flowering  Dogwood. 


131 


Flowering  Dogwood  ( Cornus  Florida , Linn.).  15  to  40 
feet.  Small,  flat-topped,  bushy,  irregular  tree,  with  angular, 
spreading  twigs,  set  with  conical,  flattened  flower  buds,  en- 
closed in  four  leathery  protecting  scales.  Bark  gray  or  brown, 
checked  by  deep  furrows  into  small,  irregular  plates,  like 
alligator  skin.  Wood  fine-grained,  hard,  heavy,  brown,  tough, 
used  for  hubs,  tool-handles,  engraving  blocks.  Leaves  oppo- 
site, obovate,  simple,  3 to  5 inches  long,  strongly  veined, 
grooved  above,  shiny  surface,  green,  turning  to  red  in  autumn. 
Flowers  in  terminal  clusters,  March  to  May,  perfect,  small;  the 
four  scales  of  the  bud  spread  and  bleach,  forming  the  showy, 
white  bracts,  often  miscalled  “petals.’’  Fruit  2-seeded,  fleshy 
red  berries,  in  erect  clusters.  Dist.:  Massachusetts  to  Flor- 
ida; west  to  Michigan,  Missouri,  and  Texas. 


132 


Scarlet  Haw  ( Cratcegus  pruinosa,  K.  Koch).  15  to  20 
feet.  Small  tree  with  irregular,  spreading  head  of  horizontal 
limbs.  Thorns  numerous,  stout,  straight,  1 to  1|  inches  long. 
Bark  thin,  gray,  scaly.  Wood  brown,  hard,  heavy,  used  for 
fuel.  Leaves  ovate,  lobed  and  serrate,  except  toward  base; 
dark  blue-green,  smooth,  leathery,  paler  beneath;  1 to  1| 
inches  long,  on  slim  petioles;  orange-colored  in  autumn. 
Flowers  in  May,  like  those  of  C.  cestivalis.  Fruit  flattened, 
| to  f inch  long,  purplish,  lustrous,  with  pale  dots;  calyx  lobes 
erect;  nutlets  5 deeply  ridged;  flesh  dry.  Dist.:  Limestone 
soil,  Vermont  to  southern  slopes  of  Appalachian  Mountains; 
west  to  Illinois  and  Missouri.  Fine  ornamental  tree. 


133 


Scarlet  Haw  ( Crataegus  coccinea , Linn.).  10  to  20  feet. 
Shrubby,  round-headed  tree,  with  short  trunk  and  stout 
branches.  Thorns  stout,  short,  brown,  shiny.  Bark  dark 
red-brown,  scaly;  branches  gray,  twigs  slender,  with  pale 
hairs.  Leaves  elliptical  or  obovate,  tapering  at  both  ends, 
saw-toothed  on  acutely  lobed  sides,  2 to  3 inches  long,  with 
numerous,  prominent  veins;  leathery,  thin,  dark,  lustrous 
above;  paler  beneath.  Flowers  in  early  summer,  small,  in 
broad  corymbs  with  downy  stems;  stamens  10,  with  small, 
yellow  anthers.  Fruit  in  October,  soon  falling,  pomes  oblong, 
J inch  long,  dark  red  with  black  dots;  calyx  red,  spreading; 
flesh  thin,  sweet,  dry;  nutlets  3 or  4,  distinctly  ridged  on  back. 
Dist.:  Newfoundland  to  Connecticut,  along  shore,  and  fol- 
lowing St.  Lawrence  River  to  western  Quebec. 


134 


Prairie  Crab  Apple  ( Malus  Ioensis,  Britt.)*  20  to  30 
feet.  Vigorous  tree  with  round,  open  head  of  stout,  pubescent 
branches.  Lateral  twigs  usually  bear  spine-pointed  spurs. 
Bark  thin,  brown,  with  long,  narrow,  persistent  scales.  Wood 
heavy,  hard,  brown,  used  for  tool-handles,  levers,  and  for  fuel. 
Leaves  oblong,  pointed,  often  lobed  on  vigorous  shoots, 
doubly  serrate,  acute  or  rounded  at  base,  3 to  4 inches  long, 
pubescent  below,  leathery,  dark,  shining  above,  turning  yellow; 
petioles  stout,  fuzzy.  Flowers  white,  or  rosy,  like  those  of 
M.  coronaria,  but  hoary-tomentose.  Fruit  fuzzy,  becoming 
dull,  smooth,  lj  inches  in  diameter,  not  flattened,  fragrant. 
Dist.:  The  Mississippi  Basin,  all  states  the  river  bounds,  and 
Nebraska  to  Texas.  Known  by  the  wooliness  of  its  young 
growth  all  summer. 


135 


Dwarf  Shad  Bush;  Swamp  Sugar  Pear  ( Amelanchier 
obovalis,  Ashe).  Shrub  to  30  feet.  Bush  of  many  stems,  or 
slender,  dense,  round-topped  tree,  with  slim  twigs  covered 
with  dense,  white  wool  when  young.  Bark  pale,  reddish 
brown,  checked,  with  small,  persistent  scajes.  Wood  like  the 
preceding  species.  Leaves  oblong  or  elliptical,  smaller  than 
those  of  preceding  species,  and  hoary  woolly  beneath  until 
full  grown.  Dark  green,  smooth  above,  dull  beneath,  turning 
yellow.  Flowers  like  those  of  A.  Canadensis , but  smaller  and 
more  crowded.  Fruit  sweeter  and  more  juicy  than  preceding 
species,  otherwise  alike.  Dist.:  Swamp  borders  and  along 
streams,  Nova  Scotia  to  Ontario  and  Minnesota;  northward 
to  the  valley  of  the  Mackenzie  River;  southward  in  the  north- 
ern tier  of  states,  and  along  the  mountains  to  Virginia;  as  a 
shrub,  dwarfed  throughout,  near  coast,  in  the  South  Atlantic 
and  Gulf  States  to  Alabama.  A large-fruited  form  planted 
for  its  berries  in  the  Middle  West. 


136 


Red  or  Scarlet  Maple;  Swamp  Maple  ( Acer  ru - 
brum , Linn.).  50  to  120  feet.  Spreading,  symmetrical  tree, 
with  head  of  slender,  erect  branches.  Bark  dark  gray,  flaky, 
between  fissures,  into  large  scales;  limbs  pale.  Wood  hard, 
close-grained,  pale  reddish,  used  for  gunstocks,  tool-handles, 
oars,  furniture,  and  wooden  ware.  Excellent  fuel.  Leaves 
opposite,  simple,  3 to  6 inches  long,  heart-shaped,  with  3 tri- 
angular lobes,  doubly  saw-toothed,  and  2 shallow  basal  lobes. 
Surface  smooth,  bright  green,  beneath  paler,  often  silvery, 
downy.  Autumn  color,  scarlet  and  crimson.  Petioles  long, 
slim,  red.  Flowers  dioecious,  monoecious,  or  polygamous,  in 
March,  before  leaves,  in  axillary  fascicles;  petals,  stigmas,  and 
stamens,  scarlet;  anthers  yellow,  making  staminate  flowers 
orange-colored;  pistillate  clusters  deep  red.  Fruit  fascicled, 
long-stemmed,  swinging  keys  with  wings  i to  1 inch  long, 
paired,  scarlet  until  ripe  in  late  May;  wind-sown.  Dist.: 
Swampy  ground  and  stream  borders.  Eastern  States  and  lower 
Canada;  west  to  Wisconsin,  western  Iowa  to  Texas. 


137 


Mountain  Maple  (Acer  spicatum,  Lam.).  Shrub  to  30 
feet.  Shrubby  tree,  with  several  small  upright  limbs,  and 
pale,  at  first  pubescent  twigs,  and  thin,  reddish,  smooth  bark. 
Leaves  4 to  5 inches  broad  and  long,  with  three  shallow  broad 
lobes  at  apex,  and  sometimes  a faint  pair  at  base;  margin 
coarsely  saw-toothed.  Thin,  strongly  3-veined,  pale  and 
pubescent  beneath,  scarlet  and  orange  in  autumn;  petioles 
long,  red.  Flowers  in  terminal  spike,  minute,  greenish,  with 
long,  narrow  petals.  Fruit  divergent,  winged  keys,  J inch 
long,  red  until  ripe,  clustered.  Dist.:  Shady  forest  slopes, 
Canada  and  the  northern  tier  of  states;  south  along  the  Ap- 
palachian Mountains  to  Georgia.  Reaches  largest  size  in 
mountainous  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina. 


13? 


Color  illustration  of  Red  Maple . 


Florida  Sugar  Maple  (Acer  Floridanum,  Pax.).  50  to 
60  feet.  Small,  erect-branched,  spreading  tree,  with  slender, 
smooth  twigs.  Bark  smooth,  pale,  thin,  becoming  darker 
and  roughened  on  old  trunks.  Leaves  2 to  3 inches  in  length 
and  breadth,  with  3 large  triangular,  wavy-margined  lobes, 
and  2 faint  ones  at  base;  veins  prominent,  surface  smooth, 
shiny,  dark  above,  pale,  pubescent  beneath,  turning  yellow  and 
scarlet  in  autumn.  Flowers  with  leaves  in  corymbs  at  ends 
of  side  spurs;  calyx  bell-shaped,  yellow;  no  petals.  Fruit, 
paired  keys,  ^ to  f inch  in  length  of  wings,  divergent.  Dist.: 
Swamps,  Georgia  and  Florida  to  Arkansas  and  Texas. 

Color  illustration  of  Red  Maple . 


139 


Silver  Bell  Tree;  Snowdrop  Tree  ( Mohrodendron 
tetraptera,  Britt.).  Tree  or  shrub  to  &0  feet  high,  with  erect 
branches  and  narrow  head.  Bark . scaly,  brown,  with  shallow 
furrows  and  broad  ridges,  new  shoots  pubeseent;  twigs  smooth. 
Wood  pale  brownish,  soft,  light,  close.  Buds  hairy,  small, 
reddish,  blunt.  Leaves  ovate,  oblong,  acuminate  entire,  2 
to  4 inches  long,  dark  green  abovef  paler  and  stellate  pubes- 
cent beneath,  pale  yellow  in  fall.  Flowers  in  May,  white, 
bell-shaped,  in  lateral  clusters  o L2  to  4,  perfect;  stamens  8 td 
16,  pistil  2 to  4-celled,  4 ovules  in  each  cell.  Fruit  4-winged, 
dry,  oblong  drupe.  Preferred  habitat,  well-drained,  rich  soil 
in  sheltered  situations.  Dist.:  Mountains  of  West  Virginia 
to  Illinois;  south  to  Florida,  northern  Alabama  and  Missis- 
sippi to  Arkansas,  Louisiana  and  eastern  Texas. 

Another  Snowdrop  Tree,  M. , diptera,  grows  along  the  south 
Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  and  follows  the  Mississippi  to  Ar- 
kansas. It  is  hardy  in  cultivation  rib  farther  north  than 
Philadelphia.  It  is  smaller  in  stature  than  the  silver  bell  tree, 
but  has  larger  leaves  and  more  showy  flowers.  Between  the 
two  species  the  chief  difference  is  that  two  of  the  seed’s  wings 
in  this  one  have  become  obsolete,  leaving  it  2-winged, 
di-ptera.  ' - 


140 


Redbud;  Jur\s  Tree  ( Ceris  Canadensis , Linn.).  25  to 
50  feet.  Dainty  iree  with  broad,  flat  head  of  smooth,  thorn- 
less, angular  branches.  Bark  red-brown,  furrowed  closely 
and  deeply,  and  into  scaly  plates.  Wood  red-brown,  hard, 
close-grained,  weak,  with  thin  sap  wood.  Leaves  broadly 
heart-shaped  or  ovate,  short-pointed,  with  plain  margin, 
smooth,  alternate,  on  slender  stalks,  yellow  in  autumn.  Length 
and  breadth  8 to  5 inches.  Flowers  before  leaves,  in  April,  in 
axillary  clusters,  each  on  stalk,  of  the  pea-biossom  type,  rose 
pink  to  purple,  coloring  the  whole  tree.  Fruit  a thin,  pointed, 
flat  pod,  purple,  shining,  2 or  3 inches  long,  many -seeded,  per- 
sistent, shedding  seeds  all  winter.  Dist.:  Stream  borders, 
under  other  trees.  New  Jersey  to  Florida;  west  from  Ontario 
to  Nebraska,  Oklahoma,  Arkansas,  Texas,  Mississippi,  and 
Alabama.  Desirable  flowering  tree  for  lawns  and  parks. 


0 


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141 


Clammy  Locust  ( Robinia  viscosa,  Vent.).  20  to  40  feet. 
Slender,  bushy  tree,  often  a shrub,  with  twigs  dark,  reddish 
brown,  and  covered  with  glandular  hairs  that  exude  a sticky 
substance.  Bark  dark  reddish  brown,  smooth,  thin.  Wood 
heavy,  hard,  close-grained,  brown,  with  yellow  sapwood 
Leaves  7 to  12  inches  long,  of  13  to  21  ovate,  pointed  leaflets 
soft,  downy,  silvery  beneath,  at  first,  becoming  smooth  above 
bright  green,  with  pale,  pubescent  linings,  and  clammy  along 
the  leafstalks.  Flowers  rose  pink,  f inch  long,  with  red, 
clammy  pubescent  bracts  and  calyx,  in  short,  close  racemes, 
axillary.  Fruit  clustered,  thin,  narrowly  winged,  taper- 
pointed  pods,  2 to  3 inches  long,  containing  a row  of  reddish 
brown,  mottled  seeds.  Dist.:  Mountains  of  North  and  South 
Carolina.  Naturalized  as  an  ornamental  flowering  tree  for 
lawns  and  parks  in  Massachusetts  and  in  scattered  localities 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Also  in  Europe. 


142 


American  Elm;  White  Elm  ( Ulmus  Americana , Linn.). 
75  to  125  feet.  Tall  tree  with  usually  fan-shaped,  upward 
spread  of  top,  and  drooping  outer  branches.  Bark  gray, 
rough,  with  irregular  fissures.  Wood  reddish,  coarse,  heavy, 
cross-grained,  difficult  to  work,  durable  in  contact  with  water 
and  soil.  Buds  flattened,  pointed;  flower  buds  plump,  lateral 
on  youngest  twigs.  Leaves  alternate,  unsymmetrical  at 
base,  obovate,  acuminate,  doubly  saw-toothed,  with  strong 
parallel  ribs.  Flowers  March,  before  leaves  open,  perfect, 
the  stamens  clustered  around  the  single  pistil  with  forked 
stigma,  thrust  out  of  the  flaring  greenish  cup,  that  hangs  on  a 
thread-like  stem.  Clusters  of  flowers  umbel-like,  dull  pur- 
plish. Fruits,  single,  green,  flat,  oval,  notched,  the  size  of  a 
little  finger-nail,  seed  central,  with  a thin  wdng  all  around  it. 
Wind-scattered  in  May.  Dist. : Atlantic  seaboard  to  Rocky 
Mountains.  Planted  for  ornament  and  shade.  Wood  used 
for  hubs,  saddle  trees,  barrels,  flooring,  for  flumes,  piles,  and 
in  shipbuilding.  Preferred  habitat,  rich  moist  soil,  but  it 
thrives  on  uplands  and  outside  its  range. 


143 


American  Linden;  Basswood  ( Tilia  Americana , Linn.). 
75  to  125  feet.  Tall  tree  with  round  or  irregular  head  ol 
abundant  foliage;  trunk  stout.  Dark  brown,  scaly,  with 
deep  furrows,  inner  layer  tough.  Wood  soft,  fine-grained,  free 
from  knots,  hard  to  split,  used  by  wood-carvers,  and  for  fur- 
niture, to  be  veneered,  cooperage,  shoe  soles,  charcoal,  fuel. 
Buds  plump,  red,  leaves  broad,  heart-shaped,  saw-toothed, 
oblique  at  base,  with  prominent  veins,  branching  mainly  on 
the  side  next  to  the  leaf  stem.  Length  of  leaf  5 to  8 inches. 
Flowers  June  and  July,  small,  perfect,  creamy,  fragrant,  in 
cluster  on  stem  with  green  blade.  Fruit  woody  balls  contain- 
ing 2 or  3 seeds  each,  clustered  on  stem  winged  for  flight  by  the 
thin  blade.  Dist.:  New  Brunswick  to  Dakota;  south  to 
Alabama  and  Texas,  following  the  highland  regions.  Pre- 
ferred habitat,  moist,  rich  woodlands.  Planted  for  shade  and 
for  bee  pasture. 


144 


Swamp  Magnolia;  Sweet  Bay;  Swamp  Bay  ( Magnolia 
glauca , Linn.).  From  a shrub  to  75  feet.  Tall,  slender  tree 
in  the  warmer  regions,  a many-stemmed  shrub  in  the  North. 
Bark  brown,  smooth.  Wood  soft,  pale  red  or  brown,  weak. 
Leaves  evergreen  in  the  South,  deciduous  in  the  North,  4 to  6 
inches  long,  blunt  at  apex  and  base,  smooth,  shining  green 
above,  silvery  beneath,  margin  plain,  stem  short,  stout. 
Flowers  white,  waxy,  from  globular  bud,  of  many  broad,  con- 
cave petals;  when  open,  2 to  3 inches  across.  Fragrant. 
Fruit  a globular  cone,  1 inch  in  diameter,  with  red  seeds  that 
hang  out  on  slender  threads  when  the  2-lipped  capsules  open 
in  late  summer.  Dist. : Cape  Cod  to  the  Everglades,  in  swampy 
land  near  the  seaboard;  west  to  Texas  and  Arkansas.  Val- 
uable ornamental  tree  or  shrub  for  parks  and  grounds.  Foli- 
age and  flowers  cut  for  florists’  trade. 


145 


Cucumber  Tree;  Mountain  Magnolia  ( Magnolia  acumi- 
nata, Linn.).  60  to  100  feet.  Spreading,  pyramidal  tree,  of 
small  branches  and  slim  twigs  with  large  buds.  Bark  thin, 
brown,  covered  with  thin  scales.  Wood  weak,  close-grained, 
yellow-brown,  used  for  flooring  and  fuel.  Leaves  oblong, 
pointed,  plain-margined,  silky  when  opening,  thin,  smooth, 
yellow-green,  pubescent  beneath,  turning  yellow  in  autumn. 
Length  6 to  10  inches;  width  4 to  6 inches.  Petioles  1 to  2 
inches.  Flowers  yellowish-green,  bell-shaped,  erect  on  ends 
of  twigs,  solitary;  sepals  3,  reflexed;  petals  6,  tapering  to  base; 
stamens  and  pistils  numerous.  Fruit  ovate,  oftener  dis- 
torted, cucumber-like,  with  seeds  in  but  few  follicles;  seeds 
red,  hung  out  on  flexible  threads.  Dist. : Rocky  uplands  near 
streams;  Ontario  to  Illinois,  Kentucky,  and  Arkansas;  moun- 
tain slopes  of  Pennsylvania  to  Tennessee,  Alabama,  and  Mis- 
sissippi. Planted  as  an  ornamental  and  shade  tree. 

The  Yellow  Cucumber  Tree , variety  cor  data  of  the  preceding 
species,  has  broad,  heart-shaped  leaves,  dark  and  almost 
evergreen,  and  bright  yellow  flowers.  It  has  been  cultivated 
in  gardens  for  a century,  and  improvement  in  size  and  color 
of  the  flowers  has  made  the  wild  prototype  seem  poor  by 
comparison.  It  grows  on  the  Blue  Ridge  foothills  of  South 
Carolina  and  in  the  wilds  of  central  Alabama. 


146 


Tulip  Tree;  Yellow  Poplar  ( Liriodendron  Tulipifera, 
Linn.).  80  to  200  feet.  Stately  tree  with  tall  trunk  and  short 
branches,  forming  a conical  head  that  spreads  irregularly  at 
length.  Bark  thick,  brown,  closely  furrowed.  Wood  light, 
soft,  pale  yellow,  easily  worked,  weak,  brittle,  used  for  wooden- 
ware,  shingles,  house  construction  and  finishing,  boat  building, 
wood  pulp.  Buds  long,  blunt  at  tip;  end  ones  much  longer. 
Leaves  alternate,  5 to  6 inches  long  and  broad,  3 or  4 lobed, 
with  shallow  sinuses,  end  abruptly  squared  or  slightly  notched 
at  the  apex.  Color  dark  green,  shining  above,  pale  beneath, 
turning  a clear  yellow.  Flowers  May,  tulip-like,  greenish- 
yellow  petals  6,  with  splash  of  orange  near  middle,  forming  a 
band  around  the  cup.  Sepals  3,  greenish,  recurved.  Stamens 
n umerous,  with  large  yellow  anthers.  Pistils  numerous, 
shingled  over  each  other  to  form  a cone-like  central  spike. 
Fruit  2 to  3 inches  long,  erect  cone,  made  of  dry,  winged,  flat 
seed  cases,  few  of  which  contain  fertile  seeds.  Dist.:  Ver- 
mont to  Florida,  west  to  Illinois,  Arkansas,  Alabama,  and  Mis- 
sissippi. Most  abundant  and  largest  in  forests  of  the  Lower 
Ohio  Valley,  and  on  uplands  of  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee. 
Preferred  habitat,  deep  rich  soil.  Favorite  shade  and  orna- 
mental tree,  planted  for  its  flowers  and  luxuriant  foliage. 


147 


Sweet  Gum;  Gum  Tree  ( Liquidambar  Styraciflua,  Linn.). 
75  to  140  feet.  Large  tree,  with  oblong  or  pyramidal  head  of 
short  branches.  Bark  brown,  furrowed,  scaly  on  old  trees; 
gray,  warty  on  young  trees,  twigs  with  corky  ridges.  Buds 
small,  hairy-tipped.  Leaves  cut  into  5 to  7 pointed  stars, 
margins  saw-toothed,  5 to  7 inches  across,  waxy,  lustrous 
above,  turning  red  in  autumn.  Flowers  after  leaves,  monoe- 
cious, staminate  in  hairy  racemes,  pistillate  in  swinging  balls. 
Fruits  dry  globes,  diameter  lj  inches,  made  of  2-horned  cap- 
sules, containing  a few  winged  seeds.  Dist.:  Connecticut  to 
Missouri;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas,  Mexico,  and  Central 
America.  Preferred  habitat,  low,  swampy  ground.  Thrives 
in  upland  soil,  too.  Planted  for  shade  and  ornament,  espe- 
cially for  the  autumn  coloring.  The  wood  is  used  for  railroad 
ties,  paving  blocks,  shingles,  and  choice  pieces  for  veneering 
furniture,  under  the  name  “satin  walnut.” 


148 


Witch  Hazel  ( Hamamelis  Virginiana,  Linn.).  Shrub  to 
£5  feet.  Short  trunk  and  loose,  spreading  head  of  small,  zig- 
zag branches.  Bark  brown,  scaly,  smooth.  Wood  close- 
grained,  heavy,  hard,  brownish-red.  Leaves  oval  or  obovate, 
unsymmetrical,  wavy-margined,  strongly  veined,  sometimes 
coarsely  toothed,  4 to  6 inches  long,  rusty-hairy  at  first. 
Flowers  in  late  autumn,  small,  clustered,  faintly  fragrant,  with 
4 narrow,  long,  yellow  petals  that  persist  all  winter.  Fruit, 
ripe  in  autumn,  a woody,  2-celled  capsule  size  of  a large  pea 
opening  explosively  to  discharge  £ black  seeds.  Dist.:  Nova 
Scotia  to  Nebraska;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas.  Bark, 
twigs,  and  leaves  macerated  to  make  a medicinal  extract. 


149 


Sassafras  ( Sassafras  Sassafras , Karst).  30  to  50  feet; 
rarely  100  feet.  Narrow,  flat,  or  loose,  open,  irregular 
head,  of  short,  stout  branches.  Roots  fleshy,  aromatic, 
sending  up  suckers.  Bark  used  to  make  tea.  Bark  reddish- 
brown,  fissured  in  broad  plates,  scaly,  spicy,  aromatic.  Wood 
brownish-yellow,  soft,  weak,  brittle,  durable  in  soil,  used  for 
boat  building,  fencing,  and  cooperage.  Leaves  of  three  forms: 
ovate,  tapering  at  both  ends;  mitten-shaped,  with  thumb-like 
side  lobe;  3-lobed,  with  thumb  on  each  side;  dull  yellow-green, 
pale  beneath,  4 to  6 inches  long,  turning  orange  and  red. 
Flowers  in  May,  dioecious,  small,  yellow,  in  corymbs  on  sep- 
arate trees.  Fruit  berry-like,  soft,  blue,  on  thickened,  scarlet 
base  and  calyx.  Dist.:  Borders  of  peaty  bogs,  woodlands  and 
fencerows;  Vermont  to  Kansas;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas. 
Valuable  ornamental  tree. 


150 


Mountain  Laurel  ( Kalmia  latifolia,  Linn.).  Evergreen 
shrub  or  tree,  becoming  30  feet  high,  with  dense,  round  head 
and  crooked  branches.  Bark  dark  brown  with  tinge  of  red, 
scaly;  branches  red  or  yellow,  smooth.  Wood  reddish  brown, 
heavy,  fine-grained.  Buds  large,  scaly,  sub-terminal  ones 
contain  flowers;  leaf  buds  small,  naked,  axillary.  Leaves 
alternate  or  irregularly  whorled,  oblong,  tapering  at  both  ends, 
leathery,  stiff,  dark  green  and  shining  above,  yellow-green 
below;  3 to  4 inches  long,  on  short  petioles;  evergreen,  falling 
during  second  summer.  Flowers  in  June;  large  terminal  com- 
pound corymbs,  on  viscid  peduncles;  perfect;  calyx  5-parted, 
on  10-lobed  disc;  corolla,  saucer-shaped,  rosy  or  white  purple 
markings  in  short  tube,  10  tiny  pouches  below  5-parted  with 
border;  stamens  10,  with  anthers  in  pouches,  and  filaments 
bent  over  until  time  to  discharge  pollen,  when  they  straighten; 
pistil  1,  with  head  on  long  style;  ovary  5-celled.  Fruit  a 
globular,  woody,  5-celled,  many-seeded  capsule.  Preferred 
habitat,  cool,  moist,  well-drained  soil  that  contains  no  lime. 
Sheltered  situations  in  the  North.  Dist.:  Nova  Scotia  to 
Lake  Erie  (north  shore);  southward  through  New  England 
and  New  York  and  along  Alleghenies  to  northern  Georgia. 

151 


Great  Rhododendron;  Rose  Bay  (Rhododendron  maxi* 
mum,  Linn.).  Shrub  to  35  feet.  Evergreen  shrub  or  small  tree 
with  broad  head  of  twisted  limbs.  Buds  large,  scaly,  terminal 
contain  flower  clusters;  axillary,  small,  contain  leafy  shoots. 
Sap  considered  poisonous.  Bark  reddish  brown,  scaly; 
limbs  gray,  at  first  rusty  hairy.  Wood  hard,  pale  brown, 
heavy,  close- textured.  Leaves  narrow-oblong,  plain,  pointed 
at  apex,  and  tapering  to  short,  stout  petiole;  thick,  dark 
green,  leathery,  evergreen,  pale  beneath,  4 to  10  inches  long. 
Flowers  in  large  umbels  in  June;  perfect,  bell-shaped,  pink, 
white  or  purplish,  shaded,  with  spotted  corolla  throat.  Fruit 
a woody,  5-celled,  many-seeded  capsule.  Dist.:  Shaded  sit- 
uations, in  peat  or  sandy  loam.  New  Brunswick  to  Florida; 
Gulf  States  to  Louisiana;  west  to  Lake  Erie,  but  rare  north 
of  Pennsylvania;  Arkansas  southward.  Forms  jungles  on 
mountain  slopes  in  East  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina. 


1.5fc 


THE  APPLES 

Trees  which  are  parents  of  cultivated  apples.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  deciduous.  Flowers  showy,  perfect,  fra- 
grant, in  terminal  cymes.  Fruit  fleshy,  enclosing  papery  5 
Celled  core. 


152 


Wild  Crab  Apple;  Fragrant  Crab  ( Malus  coronaria , 
Mill.) . Shrub  to  30  feet.  Bushy,  low  tree  with  rigid  branches 
and  thorny,  angular  twigs.  Bark  brown,  scaly.  Wood  red- 
dish brown,  heavy,  fine-grained,  weak,  used  for  levers  and  the 
handles  of  tools;  also  fuel.  Leaves  ovate  or  triangular,  3 to  4 
inches  long,  half  as  wide,  blunt,  sharply  serrate,  often  lobed 
slightly  near  base,  velvety  underneath.  Flowers  like  single 
roses,  white  to  rose-pink,  spicy  fragrant,  1 to  2 inches  across, 
after  leaves  open,  May,  in  umbels,  5-  to  6-flowered.  Fruit  a 
small,  flattened,  yellow,  hard-fleshed,  sour  apple,  with  piquant 
flavor.  Dist.:  Ontario  to  Minnesota;  Atlantic  States  and 
along  Alleghenies  to  South  Carolina  and  Alabama  and  Texas; 
Nebraska  southward.  Ornamental,  flowering  tree.  Apples 
made  into  jelly  and  preserves. 


154 


Narrow- leaved  Crab  Apple  (Malus  angustifolia,  Michx.). 
Shrub  to  30  feet.  Like  the  preceding  species,  but  more  deli- 
cate throughout.  Distinguished  by  its  leaves,  which  are 
narrow,  blunt  at  both  ends,  lj  to  3 inches  long,  dark  green, 
almost  leathery,  lustrous,  with  dull,  often  fuzzy  lining.  Dist. : 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  to  Florida;  west  to  Louisiana; 
north  into  Tennessee;  forest  valleys,  along  streams,  and  in 
sandy  upland  hollows  in  the  southern  pine  belts.  Fruit  and 
wood  used  as  in  preceding  species. 


155 


THE  MOUNTAIN  ASHES 
Genus  SORBUS  Linn. 

Small  trees  of  good  habit,  with  ornamental  foliage,  flowers, 
and  fruit.  Leaves  alternate,  7 to  17  leaflets,  serrate.  Flow- 
ers  small,  white,  in  many-flowered  flat  corymbs.  Fruit 
small,  red,  berry-like. 


156 


THE  SERVICE-BERRIES 

Slender,  pretty  trees  often  cultivated.  Leaves  simple, 
alternate,  deciduous,  Flowers  white,  numerous,  in  racemes. 
Fruits  small,  berry-like,  with  4-  to  10-celled  core. 

Service  Berry;  Shad  Bush;  June  Berry  ( Amelanchier 
Canadensis , T & G.).  15  to  40  feet.  Slender,  round-topped 

or  pyramidal  tree  with  twigs  at  first  silky.  Bark  purplish,  or 
red-brown,  furrowed  into  squarish  plates.  Wood  heavy,  very 
hard,  close,  dark,  used  for  tool-handles  and  fuel.  Leaves  oval 
or  oblong,  serrate,  tapering,  smooth,  3 to  4 inches  long,  mid- 
ribs grooved  above;  petioles  slender;  autumn  color  yellow. 
Flowers  in  April,  before  leaves,  white,  in  loose,  drooping 
racemes,  with  silky,  red  bracts  and  five  narrow  petals  spread- 
ing 1 inch.  Fruit  a flattened,  red  berry,  juicy,  sweet,  with 
10-celled  core  containing  seeds.  Ripe  in  early  summer. 
Dist. : Newfoundland  to  Dakota;  south  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Cultivated  as  an  ornamental  nark  and  lawn  tree,  and  for  birds. 


157 


THE  HAWTHORNS 

Small  trees  or  shrubs,  with  rigid,  thorny  branches.  Leaves 
simple,  alternate,  deciduous,  stipulate,  serrate,  often  lobed. 
Flowers  perfect,  usually  white,  in  corymbs  on  short  side  twigs. 
Fruits  drupe-like  pomes,  with  hard  nutlets  containing  the 
seeds.  Wood  hard,  tough,  reddish,  close-grained.  Uses: 
Ornamental  trees  and  hedge  plants;  wood  used  for  tool -handles 
and  mallets. 


153 


Cock-spur  Thorn;  Hawthorn  ( Cratcegus  crus-galli , 
Linn.).  15  to  25  feet.  Small  tree,  with  rigid,  stout,  spread- 
ing branches  and  twigs  with  straight,  unbranched  thorns,  3 to 
4 inches  long,  or  on  older  limbs  6 to  8 inches  long,  and  set  with 
slim,  lateral  spines.  Bark  gray  or  brown,  scaly.  Wood 
brownish  red,  hard,  fine,  heavy,  takes  fine  polish;  used  for 
tool-handles,  levers  and  for  fuel.  Leaves  thick,  leathery, 
polished,  dark  green  above,  paler  beneath,  1 to  4 inches  long, 
obovate,  acute  or  rounded  and  serrate  at  the  apex;  plain-, 
margined  below  the  middle  and  tapering  to  the  stout  petiole. 
Autumn  colors,  orange  and  scarlet.  Flowers  May  to  June, 
after  leaves,  in  loose,  many-flowered  corymbs;  white,  fragrant, 
f inch  across,  smooth  petals  and  sepals,  5 each,  stamens  10, 
anthers  rose-colored;  styles  2,  hairy.  Fruikalmost  globular,  J 
inch  long,  dull  red,  with  dry,  thin,  mealy  flesh,  ripe  in  October, 
hanging  until  spring;  calyx  lobes  dry  and  spreading  at  “blos- 
som end  ”;  nutlets  2,  full  and  rounded  at  ends,  with  prominent, 
grooved  ridge  on  the  back,  \ inch  long.  Dist.:  Rich  soil, 
Montreal  to  southern  Michigan;  New  York  State  to  Penn- 
sylvania; along  foothills  to  North  Carolina.  Planted  for 
ornament  and  as  a hedge  plant  in  Europe  and  America. 

159 


Dotted  Haw  (Cratcegus  punctata,  Jaeq.).  20  to  30  feet. 
Broad,  round-headed  tree,  or  flat-topped,  with  stout,  hori- 
zontal branches,  and  twigs  at  first  coated  with  pale  pubescence, 
then  gray.  Thorns  straight,  slim,  2 to  3 inches  long,  orange- 
brown  or  gray.  Bark  thin,  dark  red,  shed  in  long,  plate-like 
scales;  limbs  brown  or  gray.  Wood  red-brown,  hard,  close- 
grained,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  obovate,  pointed  or  blunt, 
tapering  to  plain-margined,  wedge-shaped  base,  coarsely 
serrate  above,  thick,  firm,  gray-green  above,  with  prominent 
veins  and  midrib  deeply  grooved  above.  Length  2 to  3 inches, 
half  as  wide;  autumn  color,  orange  and  scarlet.  Flowers  as 
in  preceding  species,  except  that  anthers  are  often  yellow: 
styles  2 to  5.  Fruit  short-oblong,  J to  1 inch  long,  red  or 
yellow,  marked  by  white  dots;  flesh  thin,  dry;  nutlets  ridged. 
Dist.:  Western  New  England  to  Detroit,  and  into  Illinois 
and  Ohio;  along  mountains  to  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee. 
Valuable  ornamental  tree. 


160 


rrr 


May  Haw;  Apple  Haw  ( Cratcegus  cestivalis,  T.  & G.). 
20  to  30  feet.  Round-headed  tree,  with  stout  trunk,  or  many 
stems  from  ground.  Thorns  stout,  sharp,  1|  inches  long, 
shining;  often  wanting.  Bark  thin,  reddish  brown,  fissured 
into  irregular  plates,  scaly.  Wood  heavy,  weak,  close- 
grained,  light  brown.  Leaves  1^  to  2 inches  long,  elliptical, 
irregularly  wavy-toothed  and  serrate  above  middle;  plain, 
wedge-shaped  to  hairy  petiole;  dark  green,  leathery,  shining 
above,  with  rusty,  hairy  veins  below.  Flowers  with  leaves 
in  February  or  March,  few  in  cluster,  white,  1 inch  across, 
calyx  tips  and  numerous  anthers  red.  Fruit  ripe  in  May,  1 to 
3 in  cluster,  flattened,  very  fragrant,  bright  red  with  pale 
dots,  calyx  lobes  large,  recurved;  flesh  thick,  juicy,  sub-acid; 
used  for  jellies  and  preserves;  nutlets  grooved.  Dist. : North- 
ern Florida  through  Gulf  states  to  Sabine  River  in  Texas; 
north  to  southern  Arkansas.  A handsome  ornamental  haw- 
thorn. 

Illustration  from  Prof.  Sargent's  “ Silva  of  North  America ” 

UU 


Green  Haw  ( Cratoegus  viridis,  Linn.).  20  to  35  feet. 
Round-headed  tree  with  tall,  often  fluted  trunk,  and  spreading 
branches,  ending  in  smooth,  slim,  gray  or  red-brown  twigs. 
Thorns  slender,  sharp,  pale,  less  than  1 inch  long;  oftener 
wanting.  Bark  checked  into  plates,  thin,  scaly,  orange, 
brown,  or  ashy  gray.  Wood  like  that  of  preceding  species. 
Leaves  obovate,  tapering  to  both  extremities,  serrate  and 
lobed  above  middle,  plain  below,  dark  green,  lustrous  above, 
pale,  dull  beneath;  1 to  3 inches  long,  with  prominent  veins 
and  midrib.  Flowers  March  to  May,  white,  J inch  across, 
smooth;  anthers  yellow;  styles  5;  clusters  dense.  Fruit 
flattened,  scarlet,  pea-size,  in  pendent  clusters,  many-fruited; 
flesh  thin,  dry;  nutlets  5,  scarcely  ridged.  Dist.:  Savannah 
River  westward  to  eastern  Texas;  north  to  St.  Louis.  Ex- 
tensive thickets  in  Louisiana  and  eastern  Texas.  Valuable 
for  ornamental  planting,  for  its  scarlet  autumn  foliage. 


162 


Haw  ( Crataegus  apiomorpha , Sarg.).  10  to  25  feet.  Short- 
trunked, pyramidal  tree  with  many  branches,  ascending,  or 
shrubby,  many-stemmed,  spreading  into  clumps.  Thorns 
short,  straight,  slender,  red-brown,  becoming  gray;  1 to  1| 
inches  long;  often  wanting.  Bark  gray,  cracking  into  plates, 
and  showing  yellow  underlayer.  Leaves  thick,  leathery, 
shining,  blue-green,  pale  beneath,  lj  to  2j  inches  long,  ovate 
or  oblong,  serrate  almost  to  base,  irregularly  lobed  above 
middle;  petioles  slender,  winged  at  apex.  Flowers  May,  in 
crowded  corymbs,  small,  wrhite,  hairy,  anthers  5,  pink.  Fruit 
September,  in  drooping  clusters  of  3 to  5,  pea-sized,  red-purple, 
obovate,  with  thin  flesh,  juicy,  acid;  calyx  lobes  spreading, 
soon  falling;  nutlets  3 to  5,  with  low  ridge  on  back.  Dist.: 
Borders  of  dry  woodlands  near  Chicago. 


163 


Haw  ( Cratcegus  aprica , Beadl.).  15  to  20  feet.  Slender* 
trunked,  spreading  tree,  with  zigzag  branchlets.  Often  a 
many-stemmed  shrub.  Thorns  straight,  slender,  brown,  1 
to  1|  inches  long.  Bark  dark  gray,  deeply  cut  between  scaly 
plates.  Leaves  rhomboidal  or  obovate,  finely  saw-toothed 
and  faintly  lobed;  1 inch  long,  thick,  shiny,  yellow-green, 
paler  beneath;  petioles  winged.  Flowers  few,  in  corymbs, 
small,  on  downy  stems,  stamens  10,  anthers  yellow,  small; 
styles  3 to  5.  Fruit  2 to  3 in  a cluster,  late,  J inch  in  diameter, 
flattened,  dull  orange-red;  flesh  juicy,  yellow,  sweet;  nutlets 
3 to  5,  ridged.  Dist.:  Southwestern  Virginia,  through  west- 
ern North  Carolina,  eastern  Tennessee,  northern  Georgia- 
and  Alabama;  common  between  1,500  and  3,000  feet  altitude. 
Strikingly  beautiful  in  late  autumn,  in  its  purple  foliage  anc 
brilliant  orange-red  fruit  clusters. 


Red  Haw  ( Crataegus  Holmesiana , Ashe).  20  to  30  feet. 
Tall  tree  with  open,  irregular  head,  or  compact,  with  stout 
branches.  Thorns  few,  1|-  to  2 inches  long,  thick,  mostly 
straight,  brown.  Bark  pale  gray  or  nearly  white,  scaly. 
Leaves  ovate,  serrate,  irregular  lobed  above  middle,  nearly 
smooth,  yellow-green,  1 J to  2 inches  long  with  long  stems  and 
strong  ribs.  Flowers  May,  cup-shaped,  in  loose  clusters; 
stamens  5 to  8,  with  large  purplish  anthers;  styles  3,  with  ring 
of  hairs  around  base.  Fruit  ripe  in  September,  soon  falling, 
crimson,  oblong,  i to  f inch  long,  with  reddish,  incurving 
calyx  lobes;  flesh  mealy,  acid,  not  pleasant  to  taste;  nutlets 
3,  distinctly  ridged.  Dist.:  Montreal  to  southern  Ontario, 
coast  of  Maine  to  western  half  of  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Is- 
land, western  New  York,  and  eastern  Pennsylvania.  Largest 
hawthorn  in  New  England.  Fine  ornamental  tree. 


m 


Red  Haw  (Crataegus  coccinoides , Ashe).  10  to  25  feet. 
Handsome,  thrifty  tree,  with  round  dome  of  stout  branches. 
Thorns  lj  to  2 inches  long,  stout,  straight,  reddish  purple. 
Bark  dark  brown,  scaly;  twigs  red,  smooth.  Leaves  broadly 
ovate,  doubly  serrate,  acutely  lobed  above  the  middle,  2 to 
3 inches  long,  polished,  yellow-green  above,  at  first,  becoming 
dark  and  dull;  turning  orange  and  scarlet.  Stems  red.  Flow- 
ers in  May,  in  crowded  corymbs,  white,  large;  stamens  20, 
with  large,  rosy  anthers;  styles  5.  Fruit  in  October,  in  dense, 
erect  clusters,  the  pomes  flattened,  globular,  lustrous,  dark 
red,  with  pale  dots;  flesh  thick,  red,  acid.  Dist.:  Dry  woods, 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  to  eastern  Kansas. 


166 


Parsley  Haw  ( Cratcegus  apiifolia , Michx.).  15  to  20  feet. 
Irregular  tree,  with  angular,  twisted  branches,  horizontally 
spread.  Thorns  stout,  straight,  brown,  1 to  lj  inches 
long.  Bark  brown,  checked,  scaly.  Wood  hard,  brown, 
with  satiny  lustre.  Leaves  round  or  broadly  ovate,  sharply 
cut-toothed,  and  cleft  to  the  midrib,  almost,  into  5 to  7 narrow 
lobes,  imitating  parsley  leaves  more  than  the  usual  hawthorn 
leaf  does.  Flowers  March,  April,  in  dense,  hairy  corymbs; 
corolla  J inch  across;  stamens  20,  with  rosy  anthers;  styles 
1 to  3.  Fruit  October,  persistent  for  weeks;  oblong,  small, 
scarlet,  pea-like;  nutlets  1 to  3,  grooved  and  ridged;  flesh  thin, 
yellow,  juicy.  Dist.:  Coast  region,  Virginia  to  Florida;  west 
to  Arkansas  and  Texas.  Fine  ornamental  species,  with  abun- 
dant fruit,  foliage,  and  bloom. 


167 


Washington  Thorn  (Crataegus  cordata , Ait.)-  25  to  40 
feet.  Vigorous,  regular  tree  with  compact  head  and  straight 
trunk.  Thorns  numerous,  slender,  sharp,  \\  to  2 inches  long. 
Leaves  heart-shaped,  coarsely  saw-toothed,  sharply  lobed  like 
a grape  or  maple,  thin,  shining,  turning  dark  red  in  autumn. 
Length  1 to  3 inches.  Flowers  in  May,  many  in  a corymb, 
small,  stamens  20,  anthers  red.  Fruit  in  September,  in  hang- 
ing clusters,  persistent,  scarlet,  small,  flattened.  Dist. : Vir- 
ginia to  Alabama;  north  to  Illinois.  Fine  hedge  and  pans 
tree. 


168 


Hog’s  Haw;  Pomette  Bleue  ( Crataegus  brachyacantha , 
Sarg.  & Engelm).  40  to  50  feet.  Handsome  tree  with  com- 
pact, round  head  of  stout  gray  branches.  Thorns  numer- 
ous, short,  stout,  curved.  Leaves  rhomboidal  to  lanceolate, 
lustrous,  dark  green,  1 to  2 inches  long,  sometimes  irregularly 
lobed,  coarsely  saw-toothed,  tapering  to  wedge-shaped  base, 
and  short,  stout  petiole;  apex  acute  or  rounded.  Flowers 
small,  in  broad  clusters,  petals  orange-colored  as  they  fade; 
stamens  15  to  20.  Fruit  in  August,  flattened,  globular, 
bright  blue,  with  pale  bloom.  Dist.:  Arkansas  to  western 
Louisiana  and  to  Sabine  River  Valley,  Texas.  Only  blue- 
bruited  hawthorn.  Handsome  ornamental  tree. 

Illustration  from  Prof.  Sargent's  SiSilva  of  North  America." 


169 


Pear  Haw  ( Cratoegus  tcmeniosa , Linn.).  15  to  20  feet. 
Low  tree  with  wide,  flat  head.  Thorns  scattered,  slender, 
straight,  1 to  1 \ inches  long.  Leaves  ovate-oblong,  acuminate, 
narrowed  to  the  plain,  wedge-shaped  base,  sharply  lobed,  saw- 
toothed, thin,  gray-green,  downy  beneath;  petioles  stout, 
winged,  spreading  into  prominent  veins.  Autumn  colors, 
orange  and  scarlet.  Flowers  March  to  June,  in  broad,  downy 
corymbs,  bad-smelling;  stamens  20,  with  red  or  yellow  anthers. 
Fruit  pear-shaped,  J inch  in  diameter,  in  erect,  many-fruited 
clusters,  dull  red-orange,  with  thick,  juicy  flesh.  Dist.: 
Troy,  New  York,  to  eastern  Pennsylvania,  central  Tennessee* 
and  northern  Georgia;  west  to  Minnesota  and  Kansas. 


170 


Long-spine  Haw  (Cratcegus  macracantha , Koehne).  10 
to  15  feet.  Small  tree,  or  spreading  shrub.  Thorns  numer- 
ous, slender,  curved,  3 to  4 inches  long,  very  sharp,  shiny. 
Leaves  rhomboidal  to  ovate,  acute  at  both  ends,  saw-toothed, 
lobed,  dark  green,  leathery,  lustrous,  with  stout,  red  petioles. 
Flowers  in  May,  in  velvety,  broad  clusters,  stamens  10,  with 
yellow  anthers.  Fruit  in  September,  soon  falling;  globular, 
pea-size,  crimson,  dry.  Dist.:  Montreal  through  New  Eng- 
land, and  south  to  eastern  Pennsylvania;  west  to  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin.  Haw  with  longest  thorns. 


171 


The  English  Hawthorn  ( C . Oxyacantha,  Linn.).  Grows 
wild  in  Europe  and  Asia.  We  plant  it  extensively  in  the 
United  States.  Its  leaf  is  deeply  cleft,  often  like  the  parsley 
haw.  Many  varieties  of  the  parent  species  are  grown  ior 
their  showy  flowers,  some  white,  some  pink,  and  for  the  hand' 
some,  coral-red,  clustered  fruits. 


172 


Red  Haw  ( Crataegus  mollis,  Scheele).  25  to  4U  feet. 
Romd-headed  tree  with  stout  branches  and  twigs.  Lark 
th'n,  gray  to  brown,  in  scaly  plates;  twigs  hairy,  becoming 
smooth  and  gray.  Thorns  stout,  brown,  1 to  2 inches,  shining. 
Leaves  thick,  firm,  rough,  dark  yellow-green,  3 to  4 inches 
long,  broadly  ovate,  acute,  serrate,  with  several  pointed  lobes 
above  the  middle;  base  entire;  lining  pale,  fuzzy;  petioles 
slender.  Flowers  1 inch  across,  with  hoary,  red-tipped  calyx, 
20  yellow-tipped  stamens,  and  4 to  5 styles  with  circle  of  white 
fuzz  around  them.  Fruit  August,  few  in  a cluster,  drooping, 
scarlet,  downy,  globular,  nearly  1 inch  in  diameter,  marked 
with  dark  dots.  Flesh  mealy,  yellow.  Dist.:  Bottomlands, 
Ohio  to  Dakota,  Nebraska,  and  Kansas. 


173 


Red  Haw  ( Crataegus  submollis , Sarg.).  20  to  25  feet 
Handsome,  round-headed  tree  with  slender  branches,  ashy 
gray,  and  fuzzy  twigs.  Thorns  slender,  curved,  2 to  3 inches 
long,  shining,  brown,  numerous.  Bark  gray,  pale,  or  brown, 
scaly;  branches  orange-brown.  Leaves  ovate,  acute,  with 
double  serrations,  except  near  base,  and  lobed  above  middle; 
length  between  2 and  4 inches,  width  nearly  equal;  smooth, 
yellow-green,  scabrous  above,  paler  beneath,  hairy  on  veins 
and  petioles.  Flowers  large,  white,  in  dense  corymbs,  May; 
stamens  10,  with  yellow  anthers;  styles  3 to  5,  tufted  at  base. 
Fruit  September,  soon  falling;  clusters  copious,  of  orange-red, 
pale-dotted,  pear-shaped  pomes,  § inch  long,  with  thin,  mealy 
flesh.  Nutlets  5,  slightly  ridged.  Dist.:  Rich  woodland 
borders,  along  St.  Lawrence  River  in  the  Province  of  Quebec, 
and  south  to  valley  of  Penobscot  River,  in  Maine;  to  eastern 
Massachusetts;  also  near  Albany,  New  York. 


174 


THE  PLUMS  AND  CHERRIES 

Trees  with  bitter,  astringent  sap,  containing  hydrocyanic 
acid.  Leaves  simple,  alternate,  generally  serrate.  Flowers 
in  clusters,  perfect,  white,  with  parts  distinct.  Fruit  a fleshy, 
l-seeded  drupe,  with  smooth  skin  and  stone. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Flowers  axillary,  in  sessile  umbels;  fruit  oval,  with 
flattened  stone.  Plums 

A A.  Flowers  axillary,  in  umbels;  fruit  small,  red,  shin- 
ing, globular.  Bird  Cherries 

AAA.  Flowers  in  terminal  racemes;  fruit  globose. 

Wild  Cherries 


175 


Wild  Red  Plum;  Yellow  Plum  ( Prunus  Americana 
Marsh.).  15  to  20  feet.  Graceful  little  tree  with  wide-spread' 
ing  branches,  and  angular  twigs  with  lateral  spurs  sharp, 
ending  in  thorns.  Bark  reddish  brown,  checked  into  scaly 
plates.  Wood  hard,  close-grained,  heavy,  strong,  reddish- 
brown,  used  for  fuel.  Leaves  oval,  tapering  at  apex  and  base, 
finely  serrate,  thick,  firm,  rough  above,  pale,  smooth  beneath, 
3 to  4 inches  long,  turning  yellow.  Flowers  in  April,  before 
leaves,  fragrant,  white,  perfect,  with  5 petals  that  turn  pink 
in  fading.  Fruit  a globose,  fleshy,  tart,  rich-flavored  drupe, 
1 inch  long,  with  a single  pit,  flat,  with  sharp  edge;  skin  tough, 
bitter,  puckery  to  taste.  Dist. : River  banks.  New  York  to 
Colorado  and  Texas. 


17G 


Canada  Plum;  Red  Plum  ( Prunus  nigra , Ait.)*  20  to 
80  feet.  Narrow-headed  tree  with  stiff,  erect  branches,  ending 
in  zigzag  twigs,  with  stiff,  thorny  side  shoots.  Bark  pale, 
gray-brown,  breaking  and  curling  back  into  papery  plates, 
exposing  inner  bark.  Wood  dark  red-brown,  heavy,  hard, 
close-grained,  with  pale  sap  wood.  Leaves  obovate,  or  ob- 
long-ovate, suddenly  pointed  at  the  tip,  narrowing  to  base, 
finely  serrate,  3 to  5 inches  long,  thick,  firm,  dull,  dark  green 
above,  pale  beneath,  with  prominent,  pale  midribs  beneath. 
Flowers  white,  in  early  spring,  in  few-flowered  umbels,  large, 
with  distinct  parts,  the  calyx  red  on  outside,  and  petals  fading 
to  pink.  Fruit  in  August,  oblong,  1 inch  or  more  in  length, 
with  thick,  tough,  orange-red  skin,  sour  flesh,  and  an  oval, 
flat  pit,  1 inch  long.  Dist.:  Rich,  moist  soil,  Newfoundland 
to  valleys  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Assiniboine  rivers;  south 
to  southeastern  Minnesota- 


m 


Chickasaw  Plum  ( Prunus  angustifolia , Marsh).  15  to 
25  feet.  The  wild  plum  of  the  South,  from  Delaware  and 
Kentucky  to  the  Gulf.  Leaves  narrow,  1 to  2 inches  long, 
shiny,  trough-like,  by  a fold  along  the  midrib,  like  a peach 
leaf.  Fruit  round,  soft,  sweet,  more  like  a cherry;  flavor  fine 
for  jellies  and  preserves.  Sold  in  local  markets.  Often  grown 
in  thickets,  almost  impenetrable  because  of  thorns. 

Illustration  from  “Hough’s  Handbook  of  Trees ” 


178 


Wild  Goose  Plum  ( Prunus  hortulana , Bailey).  A natural 
hybrid  between  the  wild  red  plum  and  the  Chickasaw;  sup- 
posed to  have  originated  in  Kentucky,  and  now  growing  wild 
from  Maryland  to  Texas,  as  a straight,  well-built,  thornless 
tree,  with  thin,  oblong,  dark  green  leaves,  shining  above, 
pale  beneath.  The  fruits  often  1 inch  in  diameter,  globose, 
thick-skinned,  juicy,  a better  fruit  than  either  of  its  parents. 
From  this  comparatively  recent  derivative  of  a cross  between 
two  wild  plums  have  been  developed  two  important  types  of 
garden  plums:  the  northern  Miner  group,  and  the  southern 
Way  land  group.  These  are  far  better  than  the  European 
varieties,  like  the  Damsons  and  Green  Gages,  in  the  South  and 
on  the  prairies.  Failure  attends  the  gardener  who  would 
plant  these  Old  World  plums  anywhere  except  in  the  North- 
eastern States  or  on  the  Pacific  Slope. 


179 


The  Alleghany  Sloe  ( Prunus  Alleghaniensis , Port). 
A shrub  or  small  tree  with  gnarled,  thorny  branches,  that 
spreads  in  thickets  on  mountain  slopes,  near  watercourses, 
on  both  sides  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  in  Pennsylvania. 
Fruit  black,  small,  juicy,  sour,  fine-flavored  when  made  into 
jams,  jellies,  and  preserves.  The  Black  Sloe  ( Prunus  umbellata 
Ell.),  found  on  sandy  bottom  land,  near  the  coast  from  South 
Carolina  all  the  way  to  the  Mississippi  delta,  and  up  the  river 
to  Arkansas,  supplies  the  tart  wild  fruit  to  local  markets, 
where  people  far  south  are  quite  as  fond  of  preserves  made  of 
their  black  sloe  as  are  the  Pennsylvanians.  The  drupes  are 
pea  size  in  both  species. 


*S0 


Wild  Red  Cherry;  Bird  Cherry;  Pin  Cherry  (Primus 
Pennsylvanica , Linn.).  20  to  40  feet.  Slender,  narrow, 
round-headed  tree  with  regular,  horizontal  branches.  Bark 
smooth,  shining,  red-brown,  broken  into  curling,  horizontal 
plates,  containing  long  slits,  the  lenticels  prominent  on  twigs. 
Wood  pale,  close-grained,  soft.  Leaves  slender,  taper- 
pointed,  finely  serrate,  3 to  4 inches  long,  thin,  lustrous,  bright 
green  above,  paler  beneath,  turning  yellow.  Flowers  white, 
in  scant,  lateral  clusters,  in  May,  all  parts  distinct.  Fruit 
pea-size,  clear  red,  shining,  juicy,  sour,  on  stems  1 inch  long. 
Dist.:  Rocky  woods,  Newfoundland  to  Georgia;  west  to 
Rocky  Mountains. 


181 


Wild  Black  Cherry;  Rum  Cherry  ( Primus  serotina, 
Ehrh.).  50  to  100  feet;  trunk  4 to  5 feet.  Large  tree  with 
narrow,  oblong  head  of  small,  horizontal  branches.  Bark 
aromatic,  bitter,  yielding  hydrocyanic  acid,  used  in  medicine. 
Fissures  shallow,  checking  into  broad  plates  from  which  the 
dark  red-brown,  satiny,  surface  bark  curls  back.  Slits  hor- 
izontal, prominent  on  bark  of  limbs.  Wood  hard,  close, 
straight-grained,  reddish  brown,  used  in  cabinetwork  and 
interior  finish  of  houses.  Leaves  oval  or  oblong,  tapering  to 
both  ends,  wavy-margined,  and  fine-toothed,  thin,  lustrous, 
dark  green,  bitter-aromatic  when  crushed,  2 to  5 inches  long, 
on  slender  petioles.  Yellow  in  autumn.  Flowers  white,  in 
long,  close-flowered  racemes,  small,  distinct.  Fruit  pea- 
sized berries,  flattened,  purplish,  dark,  juicy,  sweetish,  bitter- 
aromatic,  with  thick  skins,  used  to  flavor  alcoholic  liquors. 
Dist.:  Nova  Scotia  to  Florida;  west  through  Canadian  prov- 
inces to  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  Dakota,  Nebraska, 
Kansas,  Oklahoma,  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona.  Val- 
uable lumber  and  shade  tree. 


182 


Choke  Cherry  ( Prunus  Virginiana , Linn.).  Shrub  to 
35  feet.  Bush  or  tree  with  crooked,  short  trunk,  often  leaning, 
and  short,  brown  branches.  Bark  thin,  scaly,  dark  brown, 
broken  into  irregular  plates,  strong-scented,  often  marked  by 
pale  excrescences.  Wood  heavy,  close-grained,  hard,  but  not 
strong.  Worthless.  Leaves  oval,  abruptly  pointed  at  tip, 
tapering  at  base,  finely  serrate  on  plain  margin,  2 to  5 inches 
long,  bronze-green  at  first,  becoming  leathery,  lustrous,  dark 
green,  paler  beneath.  Flowers  in  erect,  finally  drooping,  ra- 
cemes, 3 to  6 inches  long,  small,  cup-shaped,  white,  with  parts 
distinct;  calyx  persistent.  Fruit  ripening  from  June  till 
October,  in  drooping  racemes,  of  dark  purplish,  soft,  with 
pleasant,  winy  flavor,  but  puckery  until  dead  ripe.  Skin 
thick,  shining.  Pit  ovate,  ridged  and  grooved.  Dist.:  Low 
valleys  and  mountain  slopes,  British  Columbia,  throughout 
mountainous  regions  of  North  America;  as  a shrub,  from  New 
England  to  Georgia,  and  westward  to  the  prairie  states. 


1B3 


THE  POD-BEARERS 

Trees  of  high  ornamental  and  timber  value.  Leaves  com- 
pound (except  in  Cercis),  alternate,  deciduous.  Flowers 
sweet  pea-like,  or  regular.  Fruit,  a pod. 

The  family  Leguminosse,  to  which  our  pod-bearing  trees 
belong,  is  one  of  vast  size  and  economic  importance,  and  of 
world-wide  distribution.  There  are  nearly  450  genera  and 
over  7,000  species.  Peas,  beans,  lentils,  clover  — all  plants 
that  bear  simple,  2-valved  pods  after  the  flowers  — are  in- 
cluded. By  this  sign  they  are  easily  recognizable  when  in 
fruit.  Besides  foodstuffs,  the  pod-bearers  yield  rubber, 
balsams,  oils,  dyestuffs,  good  timber,  and  a long  list  of  orna- 
mental plants.  The  grass  family,  which  includes  the  chief 
forage  and  grazing  plants,  the  grains  and  sugar  cane,  is  the 
only  one  that  ranks  higher  than  the  pod-bearers  in  service  to 
human  family. 


184 


Honey  Locust;  Three-thorned  Acacia  ( Gleditsia 
friacanthos,  Linn.).  70  to  140  feet.  Large,  handsome  tree 
with  rigid,  horizontal  branches,  and  twigs  with  three-pronged 
thorns,  set  singly  or  in  clusters  upon  the  second-year  twigs. 
Bark  rough,  dark,  furrowed;  twigs  smooth,  browrn.  Wood  red- 
dish brown,  hard,  durable,  heavy,  used  for  hubs,  fencing,  and 
fuel.  Buds  clustered,  almost  buried  in  the  bark  in  winter. 
Leaves  7 to  8 inches  long,  compound,  once  or  twice,  the  leaf- 
lets narrowly  oval,  set  opposite  on  the  stem;  yellow  in  autumn. 
Flowers  inconspicuous,  regular,  greenish,  in  crowded  racemes, 
the  two  sexes  separate  on  the  same  or  different  trees.  Fruit 
a purple,  S-shaped  pod,  6 to  18  inches  long,  flat,  with  many 
seeds,  hard,  brown,  flat.  Dist.:  New  York  to  Michigan; 
south  to  Mississippi  and  Texas.  Preferred  habitat,  rich, 
moist  soil.  A handsome  shade  and  ornamental  tree. 


185 


Yellow- wood;  Virgilia  ( Cladrastis  lutea,  Raf.).  30 
to  60  feet.  Slender,  graceful  tree,  with  wide-spreading,  pen- 
dulous branches,  brittle  twigs,  forming  a round  head  above  a 
short  trunk.  Bark  gray,  often  silvery,  fine-textured  like  beech 
bark;  branches  paler.  Wood  yellow,  satiny,  hard,  fine- 
grained, turning  brown  with  exposure,  used  for  gun  stocks 
and  fuel.  Yields  yellow  dye.  Leaves  compound  of  5 to  11, 
oval  leaflets,  plain  margined,  smooth,  bright  green,  paler 
beneath,  3 to  4 inches  long,  clear  yellow  in  fall.  Flowers 
creamy  white,  fragrant,  of  the  pea-blossom  type  *n  loose 
panicles,  12  to  14  inches  long,  and  5 to  6 inches  wide,  in  June. 
Fruit  clustered  pods,  thin,  brown,  smooth,  few-seeded,  2 to  3 
inches  long,  ripe  in  September,  and  falling  soon.  Dist.; 
Limestone  ridges,  oftener  on  bluffs  overhanging  streams,  rare 
and  local  in  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  North  Carolina.  Hardy 
in  Boston.  A beautiful  flowering  tree,  improved  by  cultiva- 
tion. 


186 


Kentucky  Coffee  Tree  (Gymnocladus  dioicus,  K.  Koch). 
75  to  100  feet.  A narrow,  round-topped  tree,  with  stout, 
thornless  twigs.  Buds  half-buried,  above  prominent,  pale, 
broadly  heart-shaped  leaf  scars.  Bark  gray,  deeply  furrowed 
between  scaly  ridges;  often  reddish.  Wood  light  brown,  soft, 
heavy,  coarse,  durable,  used  for  fencing.  Leaves  twice  com- 
pound, 2 to  3 feet  long,  the  stout,  branching  leaf  stalk  bear- 
ing 5 to  9 pinnae  with  6 to  14  leaflets  set  opposite,  silky- 
hoary  when  they  open,  becoming  smooth,  turning  yellow  at 
last.  Leaflets  ovate,  acute,  thin,  shining,  dark  green,  2 to 
2§  inches  long.  Flowers  in  June,  dioecious,  regular,  greenish 
white,  hairy:  staminate  racemes  3 to  4 inches  long,  lower 
pedicels  branched;  pistillate  racemes  10  to  12  inches  long, 
pedicels  stout,  hairy,  long.  Fruit  a pod,  stout,  thick-walled, 
purple,  6 to  10  inches  long,  2 inches  wide,  filled  with  sweetish, 
gummy  pulp,  around  a row  of  hard  globular  seeds  \ inch  in 
diameter.  Dist.:  Rich  soil.  New  York  to  Minnesota  and 
Nebraska;  south  into  Pennsylvania,  Tennessee,  Arkansas, 
and  Oklahoma.  Fine  shade  tree. 


187 


Locust;  Acacia;  Yellow  Locust  ( Robinia  Pseudacacia , 
Linn.).  40  to  80  feet.  Tall,  slender  tree  with  narrow,  oblong 
head  of  small,  brittle  branches.  Bark  rough,  dark  gray, 
deeply  furrowed,  the  ridges  checked  into  squares.  Wood 
brown,  tinged  with  yellow,  hard,  coarse-grained,  heavy,  dur- 
able in  soil.  Buds  pointed,  small,  silky,  all  but  tip  hidden  in 
ridged  twig.  Leaves  alternate,  compound,  8 to  14  inches 
long,  of  9 to  19  oval  leaflets,  silvery  pubescent  at  first, 
becoming  smooth,  blue-green,  pale  beneath,  turning  yellow 
in  autumn;  stipules  at  base  of  leaf  paired,  spiny,  persistent, 
becoming  stout  thorns  on  older  branches.  Flowers  white,  of 
the  pea-blossom  type,  perfect,  with  distinct  parts,  fragrant,  in 
axillary,  drooping,  loose  racemes,  4 to  5 inches  long.  May- 
June.  Fruit  clusters  of  thin,  brown,  smooth,  4 to  8-seeded 
pods,  3 to  4 inches  long,  J inch  wide,  2-valved,  persistent 
through  winter.  Dist. : Pennsylvania  to  Georgia;  west  to 
Iowa  and  Oklahoma.  Naturalized  in  New  England,  and 
New  York,  and  west  of  Rocky  Mountains.  Planted  for  posts 
and  railroad  ties,  and  for  building  of  boats  and  ships.  Superior 
wood  for  mill  cogs,  wagon  hubs,  spokes,  and  tree  nails.  Fine 
fuel. 


188 


The  Hercules’  Club  ( Aralia  spinosa , Linn.).  Shrub  to 
15  feet.  Spreading,  aromatic,  spiny  bush,  with  many  stout 
stems  from  the  roots,  or  tree  with  club-like,  spreading 
branches,  growing  very  fast.  Bark  brown,  cleft  into  rounded, 
broken  ridges.  Spines  curved  or  straight,  scattered  over  bark 
of  stalks  and  twigs,  even  petioles  of  leaves.  Leaves  clustered 
at  ends  of  branches,  compound,  3 to  4 feet  long,  St\  feet  wide, 
on  spiny  petiole  18  to  20  inches  long.  Leaflets  oval,  pointed, 
serrate,  turning  yellow.  Flowers  minute  in  umbels  com- 
pounded to  form  a pyramidal  crown  of  bloom  at  the  top  of 
the  tree  3 or  4 feet  high,  straw-colored  in  midsummer.  Fruit 
few,  berry-like,  purple,  juicy,  in  August.  Dist.:  Deep  soil 
near  streams;  Allegheny  slopes  in  Pennsylvania  to  Indiana 
and  Missouri;  south  to  Florida  and  Texas.  Cultivated.  The 
most  luxuriant-growing  tree  in  the  temperate  zone.  Shoots 
Irom  roots  grow  15  to  20  feet  in  a season. 


I»9 


THE  PRICKLY  ASH  AND  THE  HOP  TREE 

Prickly  Ash;  Hercules’  Club;  Toothache  Tree  {Fag- 
ara  Clava-Herculis , Small).  Shrub  to  30  feet.  Round-headed 
tree,  with  bird-claw,  stout  spines  \ inch  or  more  in  length  arm- 
ing twigs,  leaf-stalks  and  older  limbs.  Bark  gray,  roughened 
by  warty  tubercles  on  which  spines  are  mounted.  Sap  bitter, 
burning.  Bark  collected  locally  for  use  in  treatment  of  rheu- 
matism and  toothache.  Called  “sting  tongue,”  produces 
copius  flow  of  saliva  when  chewed.  Leaves  compound,  5 to 
8 inches  long,  of  3 to  9 pairs  of  opposite  leaflets,  and  a terminal, 
odd  one,  oval,  pointed,  serrate,  lustrous,  green  above,  paler, 
pubescent  beneath,  almost  evergreen.  Flowers  small,  green- 
ish, clustered  on  ends  of  branches,  mixed.  Fruit  in  dense 
clusters  of  1 -seeded,  dry,  brown  carpels,  from  which  the  seeds 
hang  when  ripe,  in  late  summer.  Dist. : Virginia  to  Florida, 
and  following  the  Gulf  coast  to  Texas,  north  to  Arkansas. 
Abundant  in  eastern  Texas.  Almost  exterminated  elsewhere, 
by  the  collecting  of  bark  by  negroes. 


190 


Hop  Tree;  Wafer  Ash  {Ptelea  trifoliata , Linn.).  Shrub  to 
25  feet.  Slender  tree  with  round  head  of  spreading  branches 
ending  in  downy  twigs.  Bark  with  warty  excrescences;  twigs 
with  prominent  leaf  scars.  Wood  hard,  close-grained,  heavy, 
yellow-brown.  Leaves  compound,  of  3 sessile,  ovate,  taper- 
ing, serrate  leaflets,  on  a long  petiole;  dark  green,  at  first 
downy,  4 to  6 inches  long,  turning  yellow  in  autumn.  Flow- 
ers in  terminal  clusters,  small,  mixed,  inconspicuous.  Fruit 
clustered,  pale  green  until  ripe,  circular,  winged  samara,  like 
elm  seeds,  but  larger,  often  1 inch  across.  Showy.  Dist.: 
Rocky  slopes,  in  forest  shade,  Long  Island  to  Florida;  west  to 
Minnesota,  Colorado,  Texas,  and  New  Mexico. 


191 


Ailanthus;  Tree  of  Heaven  ( Ailanthus  glandulosa , 
Desf.).  50  to  75  feet.  A luxuriant,  quick-growing,  hardy 
tree,  native  of  China,  where  it  is  a popular  street  tree  in  cities 
So  it  is  in  European  centres.  Leaves  12  to  30  inches  long,  oi 
narrow,  pointed  leaflets,  each  plain  margined,  except  for  a 
pair  cf  opposite  notches  near  the  base.  Flowers  of  the  two 
kinds  on  separate  trees,  in  profuse  clusters;  staminate  bloom 
malodorous,  but  soon  past;  pistillate  flowers  inconspicuous, 
soon  becoming  showy  against  the  dark  leaves  as  the  single 
seed  develops  in  the  centre  of  a narrow,  flat  wing,  that  passes 
from  pale  green  into  shades  from  pink  to  coppery  red.  The 
tree  looks  like  a huge  hardy  hydrangea,  with  fewer  flower 
heads.  A popular  ornamental  and  shade  tree  in  the  Eastern 
States,  and  sparingly  planted  farther  west.  A fine  shrub  for 
screening  unsightly  objects,  when  cut  back  each  year  to  the 
ground.  The  shoots  that  rise  from  the  roots  often  grow  ten 
feet  in  one  season,  and  the  leaves  may  exceed  a yard  in  length 


102 


F- 


THE  SUMACHS  AND  THE  SMOKE  TREE 

Small  trees  or  shrubs  with  stout,  pithy  branchlets,  and 
viscid,  usually  milky,  juice.  Leaves  alternate,  usually  pin- 
na tely  compound.  Flowers  minute,  greenish,  polygamo- 
ilioecious.  in  compound  panicles.  Fruit  a small,  dry  drupe. 


193 


Staghorn  Sumach;  Hairy  Sumach  (Rhus  hirta , Sudw.% 
25  to  35  feet.  Low,  flat-topped  tree  with  stout,  erect,  fork- 
ing  branches.  Bark  smooth,  brown,  thin,  separating  into 
squarish  scales;  branches  smooth,  marked  with  orange- 
colored  lenticels  and  leaf  scars;  twigs  coated  with  fine,  thick, 
soft,  brown  hairs.  Wood  brown,  coarse-grained,  soft,  brittle; 
pith  abundant  in  twigs.  Roots  fleshy,  sending  up  shoots  to 
form  thickets  on  gravelly  banks.  Leaves  pinnate,  compound, 
velvety,  dark  green  above,  pale  to  white  beneath,  leaflets 
narrow  lanceolate,  tapering  to  apex,  coarsely  cut-toothed  on 
margins,  11  to  31  on  stout  petiole,  turning  to  yellow  and  scar- 
let in  autumn,  fading  to  crimson  and  purple.  Flowers  in 
dense,  hairy,  pyramidal,  erect  clusters,  greenish,  the  two  sorts 
on  separate  trees.  Individual  flowers  very  small,  with  parts 
distinct;  stamina te  clusters  larger  than  pistillate.  Fruit  on 
fertile  trees  in  compact,  large,  red  panicles,  of  small,  globular, 
thin-fleshed  drupes,  with  skin  coated  with  acrid  hairs,  and 
containing  a brown,  bony  seed.  Persistent  through  winter. 
Dist.:  Southern  Canada  west  to  Winnipeg;  south  to  Georgia 
and  Mississippi.  Planted  as  a ground  cover  for  rocky,  broken 
ground  in  parks  and  estates.  Wood  used  for  walking-sticks, 
etc.  Bark  and  roots  yield  tannin  for  dyeing. 

194 


Dwarf,  Black,  or  Mountain  Sumach  ( Rhus  copallina , 
Linn.).  Shrub  to  30  feet.  Small,  spreading  tree  with  reddish, 
pubescent,  zigzag  twigs.  Bark  reddish  brown,  thin,  breaking 
into  large,  papery  scales.  Wood  as  in  preceding  species. 
Leaves  compound,  alternate,  6 to  8 inches  long,  of  9 to  21 
ovate-lanceolate,  plain-margined  leaflets,  increasing  in  size 
toward  apex  of  the  conspicuously  winged  petioles.  Blades 
dark  green,  silvery -downy,  beneath,  when  opening,  becoming 
lustrous  and  smooth  above;  turning  to  dark,  rich  reds 
in  autumn.  Flowers  late  in  summer,  slow  in  passing,  dioecious 
in  compact,  velvety  panicles,  red,  conspicuous,  individual 
flowers  minute.  Fruit  red,  hairy,  persistent  well  into  follow- 
ing summer,  showy.  Dist.:  Shrubby  all  over  United  States 
east  of  Rocky  Mountains.  A tree  in  Tennessee  and  North 
Carolina,  Arkansas,  and  Texas. 


195 


Poison  Sumach;  Poison  Dogwood  ( Rhus  Vernix,  Linn.). 
Shrub  to  20  feet.  Slender  bush  or  tree,  with  narrow,  round 
head  of  slender,  smooth  branches,  pendulous,  marked  with 
orange  lenticles.  Bark  thin,  pale  gray,  smooth  or  striate. 
Wood  like  that  of  other  sumachs;  sap  acrid,  poisonous,  turn- 
ing black.  Leaves  7 to  14  inches  long,  with  slim,  reddish 
tinged  petioles,  and  7 to  13  leaflets,  ovate-oblong,  tapering, 
3 to  4 inches  long,  downy  and  orange-colored  when  opening, 
becoming  dark  green  and  shining  above,  pale  beneath,  turn- 
ing to  scarlet  and  orange  in  fall.  Flowers  in  slender,  pubes- 
cent panicles,  grouped  near  end  of  branches,  in  early  summer, 
yellow-green,  incomplete,  dioecious.  Fruit,  ivory-white  ber- 
ries, sometimes  grayish,  | inch  long,  in  graceful,  drooping 
clusters,  ripe  in  September,  persistent  all  winter.  Dist.: 
Swampy  ground,  often  inundated  part  of  the  year,  Maine  tc 
Florida;  west  to  Minnesota,  Arkansas,  and  Louisiana.  Very 
common,  and  poisonous  to  touch.  More  to  be  dreaded  than 
poison  ivy. 


196 


Smooth  Sumach  ( Rhus  glabra , Linn.).  Growing  in  the 
same  situations  as  the  staghorn  sumach,  and  everywhere  east 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  this  well-known  shrub  is  distin- 
guished by  its  smooth  leaves,  which  instead  of  velvet,  wear 
a whitish  bloom,  like  that  on  grapes  and  plums.  Clean-cut, 
dainty,  and  brilliantly  colored,  in  autumn  this  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  the  sumachs.  The  red,  erect  fruit  pyra- 
mids are  the  only  hairy  parts  of  the  tree.  The  nutlets  are 
pleasantly  acid,  and  when  unripe  are  used  to  make  a bever- 
age like  lemonade.  Infusions  of  berries,  bark,  and  leaves 
Ore  used,  too,  in  the  treatment  of  fevers,  as  a home  remedy. 


197 


American  Smoke  Tree;  Chittam  Wood;  Mist  Tree 
( Cotinus  Americanus , Nutt).  20  to  35  feet.  Tall,  round- 
headed  tree  with  slender,  pendulous  branches.  Bark  gray,  with 
thin,  oblong  plates  on  surface;  branches  purplish  red.  Wood 
light,  soft,  coarse-grained,  streaked  orange-colored,  with  white 
sapwood.  Used  for  fencing.  Sap  yields  yellow  dye.  Leaves 
oval  or  obovate,  simple,  alternate,  purple  and  silky  when  they 
open,  becoming  smooth,  shining,  dark  green  above,  pale 
beneath,  fuzzy  on  veins;  4 to  6 inches  long,  2 to  3 inches 
wide,  wavy-margined,  blunt  at  ends,  strongly  feather- veined. 
Flowers  April  and  May,  minute,  in  loose,  terminal  panicles, 
dioecious.  Fruit  scant  in  quantity;  most  of  the  flowers  on 
fertile  trees  do  not  produce  seed-bearing  drupes.  Sterile 
pedicels  develop  a feathery,  plume-like  system  of  bracts,  that 
cover  the  tree  with  a cloud  of  pink  and  umber  shades.  Dist. : 
Sides  of  ravines  and  river  banks,  Tennessee  to  Oklahoma; 
Missouri,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Texas. 

The  European  Smoke  Tree,  or  Venetian  Sumach  ( Cotinus 
Cotinus)  is  the  more  showy  and  common  species  seen  in  gar- 
dens. This  is  a native  of  the  Himalayas  and  northern  China, 
and  so  it  exceeds  our  species  in  hardiness  and  vigor. 


198 


THE  HOLLIES 

Trees  of  small  size,  or  shrubs.  Leaves  simple,  alternate, 
petioled.  Flowers  minute,  axillary,  dioecious  or  polygamous. 
Fruit,  a berry-like  drupe. 


199 


Dahoon  ( Ilex  cassine,  Linn.).  Shrub  to  35  feet.  Ever- 
green  shrub  or  tree  with  persistent,  silky,  white  down  on  the 
last  three  years  of  growth.  Branches  at  length  smooth, 
brown.  Bark  gray,  roughened  by  numerous  slits,  the  lenticels. 
Wood  light,  soft,  close-grained,  pale  brown,  with  white  sap- 
wood.  Leaves  2 to  3 inches  long,  \ to  1 inch  wide,  plain- 
margined,  or  with  faint  teeth  near  the  acute  apex,  narrowing 
gradually  to  base,  lustrous  above,  sparingly  downy  on 
broad  midrib  beneath,  and  on  stout,  short  petiole.  Flowers 
in  axillary  cymes,  minute,  with  pointed,  hairy  calyx  lobes. 
Fruit  in  late  autumn,  persistent  till  spring,  red,  rarely  yellow, 
berries,  solitary  or  in  clusters  of  3,  about  \ inch  in  diameter. 
Dist.:  Cold  swamp  borders  and  coast  pine  barrens,  or  sandy 
ridges,  Virginia  to  Tampa  Bay,  west  to  Louisiana,  not  far 
from  the  Gulf.  A white-stemmed,  narrow-leaved  variety, 
reduced  in  size  throughout,  is  the  distinct  variety,  myrti- 
folia , Sarg.,  of  the  pine  barrens  and  cypress  swamps,  North 
Carolina  to  Louisiana. 

Illustration  from  “ Hough's  Handbook  of  Trees" ’ 

200 


Yaupon;  Cassena  ( Ilex  vomitoria , Ait.).  Shrub  to  25 
feet.  Much- branched,  spreading  tree  or  shrub,  with  stout, 
horizontal  branches,  bark  red-brown,  broken  into  minute 
scales;  branches  gray,  smooth.  Wood  hard,  heavy,  close- 
grained,  white,  turning  yellow  on  exposure.  Leaves  evergreen, 
small,  elliptical,  pointed  at  both  ends,  1 to  2 inches  long, 
leathery,  dark,  lustrous  above,  dull  beneath,  persisting  until 
spring  of  third  year;  petioles  short,  stout,  grooved.  Flowers 
in  short-stemmed,  axillary  cymes,  more  abundant  on  stam- 
inate  trees.  Fruit,  abundant,  scarlet  berries,  \ inch  in  di- 
ameter. close  to  stems,  back  of  leaves.  Nutlets  ribbed. 
Dist.!  Virginia  to  Florida;  west  to  Arkansas  and  Texas. 
Branches  cut  for  Christmas  greens.  Indians  made  an  in- 
fusion called  the  “black  drink,”  which  they  drank  in  a 
yearly  ceremonial  of  purification.  It  is  nauseating  to  the 
taste,  acting  as  an  emetic  and  a purgative. 

Illustration  from,  “ Hough's  Handbook  of  Trees ” 


201 


Swamp  Holly  or  Meadow  Holly  ( Ilex  decidua , Walt.). 
Shrub  to  30  ft.  Straggling  shrub,  or  slender  tree,  with  stout, 
spreading  branches  and  silvery  white  twigs,  smooth,  slim, 
often  pearly  gray.  Bark  of  trunk  warty  with  small  excres- 
cences, thin,  light  brown.  Wood  creamy  white,  hard,  close- 
grained,  heavy.  Leaves  deciduous,  clustered  on  the  ends  of 
side  spurs,  except  on  vigorous  shoots,  serrate,  oblong-spatulate 
or  narrow,  tapering  abruptly  to  the  acute,  sometimes  notched, 
apex,  and  narrowly  to  the  short,  grooved  petiole,  thick,  firm, 
2 to  3 inches  long,  pale  green  above,  paler  beneath.  Flowers 
minute  in  few-flowered  clusters  at  base  of  leafy  spurs.  Fruit 
solitary  or  few  in  clusters,  axillary;  berries  flattened,  or  glob- 
ose, orange,  or  orange-scarlet,  with  few,  ridged  nutlets.  Dist. : 
Wet  soil,  Virginia  to  Florida;  Missouri  to  Texas.  Shrubby 
east  of  Mississippi  River. 


202 


Mountain  Holly  {Ilex  monticola , Gray).  Shrub  to  40 
feet.  Low  shrub  with  spreading  stems,  or  narrowly  pyramidal 
tree;  trunk  short.  Bark  and  wood  like  preceding  species. 
Leaves  deciduous,  thin,  ovate,  serrate,  acuminate  at  apex, 
acute  at  base,  length  4 to  5 inches,  width  \ to  2 inches, 
light  green  above,  pale  below;  petioles  short.  Flowers  in 
June,  in  short-stalked  cymes,  axillary,  dioecious.  Fruit 
scarlet  berries,  nearly  \ inch  in  diameter,  ripe  in  early  autumn, 
and  soon  falling  with  the  leaves.  Dist.:  Mountain  slopes, 
following  Alleghenies  from  New  York  to  Alabama.  A tree 
only  in  the  Carolinas,  on  the  Blue  Ridge  foothills. 


208 


Burning  Bush;  Wahoo  ( Euonymus  atropurpureus , Jacq.). 
Shrub  to  25  feet.  Dainty  tree  with  spreading,  slender 
branches,  smooth  twigs.  Bark  ashy  gray,  fluted,  thin,  with 
minute  scales.  Wood  white,  tinged  orange,  hard,  very  close- 
grained,  used  for  knitting  needles,  spindles,  crochet  hooks, 
skewers  and  toothpicks.  Leaves  opposite,  simple,  elliptical- 
ovate,  acuminate  at  tip,  acute  at  base,  finely  and  obscurely 
saw-toothed,  and  thickened  along  margins,  leathery,  thin, 
smooth  above,  dull,  downy  beneath,  2 to  5 inches  long,  turn- 
ing yellow  in  autumn,  slow  to  fall.  Flowers  in  axillary,  in 
compound,  forking  cymes,  inconspicuous,  with  4 spreading 
sepals  and  4 much  longer  purple  petals,  alternating  with  the 
calyx  lobes,  both  inserted  in  a fleshy  receptacle,  or  disk,  and 
bearing  the  stamens  and  pistils  on  a square  centre.  Fruit 
fleshy,  4-lobed,  turning  to  purple  as  it  ripens  in  October,  J inch 
across,  parting  and  revealing  1 or  2 seeds  in  each  cell,  a scarlet 
outer  coat  loosely  enveloping  each  bony  seed.  The  persistent 
fruits  make  the  tree  look  as  if  hung  full  of  red-hot  coals  until 
midwinter.  Often  cultivated  for  winter  effect  in  gardens. 
Dist.:  Western  New  York  to  Nebraska,  and  South  Dakota 
and  Kansas;  south  to  Florida,  Arkansas,  and  Oklahoma; 
upper  valley  of  the  Missouri  River,  into  Montana 
204 


THE  MAPLES 

Trees  valuable  for  timber  and  ornament.  Leaves  simple 
(except  Negundo),  opposite,  palmately  veined  and  lobed, 
deciduous.  Flowers  inconspicuous,  racemed  or  in  corymbs. 
Fruits  paired,  winged  samaras. 


205 


Silver  Maple;  Soft  Maple  (Acer  saccharinum , Linn.)* 
50  to  120  feet.  Large,  stout-trunked  tree  with  long,  spreading 
limbs,  drooping  at  ends.  Quick-growing,  easily  broken  by 
wind  and  ice.  Bark  roughly  scaly,  brownish  red,  furrowed; 
twigs  red.  Wood  hard,  close-grained,  brittle,  easy  to  work, 
used  for  fuel  and  flooring  and  cheap  furniture.  Sap  sometimes 
boiled  for  sugar.  Leaves  deeply  3-cleft,  with  2 small  lobes 
near  truncate  or  heart-shaped  base ; margin  doubly  saw-toothed ; 
4 to  7 inches  long,  smooth,  thin,  pale  green,  white  beneath, 
fuzzy  along  veins;  stems  long.  Flowers  small,  in  sessile,  axil- 
lary clusters,  before  leaves,  greenish  yellow,  without  petals, 
monoecious  or  dioecious,  March- April.  Fruit  paired,  winged 
keys,  2 to  3 inches  long,  pubescent  until  ripe,  short-stemmed, 
wind-scattered  in  late  May.  Dist.:  Rich,  moist  soil,  New- 
foundland to  Dakota,  south  to  Florida  and  Oklahoma.  Rare 
on  Atlantic  seaboard.  Much  planted  for  shade  and  pro- 
tection on  prairies,  but  inferior  to  other  species. 


206 


Sugar  Maple;  Rock  or  Hard  Maple  (Acer  saccharum , 
Marsh).  60  to  120  feet.  Handsome,  compact,  symmetrical 
tree  with  many  upright  limbs,  forming  an  oval  head,  which 
in  old  age  becomes  more  spreading.  Bark  gray,  deeply 
fissured,  scaly;  limbs  pale;  twigs  reddish  brown.  Wood  heavy, 
hard,  strong,  red-brown,  tough,  close-grained,  used  for  floor- 
ing, interior  finish,  saddles,  turned  wares  and  fuel.  Leaves 
heart-shaped,  deeply  cleft  by  2 wide  sinuses  into  3 main 
lobes,  which  are  toothed  and  wavy,  tapering  to  apex;  4 to  5 
inches  long  and  wide,  smooth,  dark  green,  with  paler  lining, 
turning  yellow  and  red  in  autumn.  Stalks  2 to  3 inches  long, 
slender.  Flowers  with  leaves  in  late  spring,  in  opposite  fas- 
cicles, hairy,  long-stemmed,  greenish,  small  flowers,  without 
petals,  monoecious  or  polygamous.  Fruit,  clustered  keys, 
smooth,  plump  seeds  with  wings  1 inch  long,  slightly  diver- 
gent. Dist.:  Newfoundland  to  Great  Lakes;  south  to  Flor- 
ida; west  to  Nebraska  and  Texas.  Sap  makes  maple  sugar. 
Best  of  ail  maples. 


207 


Black  Maple;  Black  Sugar  Maple  ( Acer  nigrum. 
Michx.).  50  to  80  feet.  Distinguished  from  the  preceding 
species  v hich  it  closely  resembles,  by  the  almost  black  bark 
oi  old  trunks,  and  the  orange  color  of  the  stout  branchletS. 
The  foliage  mass  is  dull,  dark  green.  The  leaves  droop,  they 
are  yellowish  green  and  downy  beneath,  with  yellow  veins, 
and  pubescent  petioles,  much  enlarged  at  base.  The  leaf 
lobes  are  more  pointed  than  the  sugar  maple’s.  The  leaves 
are  larger.  When  they  open,  they  are  densely  velvety  be- 
neath. The  winged  seeds  are  widely  divergent.  Dist.:  Da- 
kota to  Kansas;  east  to  New  England  and  Virginia. 


*08 


Striped  Maple;  Moose  wood  ( Acer  Pennsylvanicum, 
Finn.).  Shrub  to  30  or  40  feet.  Shade-loving,  dainty  tree  of 
rocky  mountain  slopes.  Bark  of  trunk  brown  or  green,  with 
white  stripes  gg  dll  wood  below  the  twigs  — cracks  showing 
the  inner  layers,  and  forming  a delicate  network  of  furrows. 
Leaves  5 to  6 inches  long  and  wide,  with  3 triangular  lobes 
zX  the  broad  apex,  the  central  one  slightly  larger  than  the 
others  — all  coarsely  saw-toothed ; base  heart-shaped;  thin, 
tomentose  when  opening,  at  length  thin,  smooth  above,  turn- 
ing to  orange  and  scarlet  in  autumn;  petioles  slender,  flexible, 
red.  Flowers  in  June,  minute,  the  two  sorts  on  one  stalk, 
forming  an  erect,  terminal  raceme,  yellow,  bell-shaped,  to- 
mentose. Fruit  red  in  July,  turning  brown;  wings  | inch  long, 
divergent.  Dist.:  Northern  New  England  and  Quebec  to 
Minnesota;  along  the  Appalachian  Mountains  to  Georgia. 
Largest  size  in  Big  Smoky  Mountains. 


209 


Box  Elder;  Ash-leaved  Maple  ( Acer  negundo , Linn./. 
50  to  70  feet.  Quick-growing,  sturdy,  irregular  tree,  with 
brittle  limbs  and  twigs.  Bark  gray,  regularly  furrowed;  twigs 
glaucous,  purplish;  buds  red.  Wood  soft,  white,  weak, 
close-grained,  used  in  cooperage  and  for  woodenware  and 
paper  pulp.  Trees  planted  for  shade  and  protection  in  prairie 
states.  Leaves  opposite,  compound,  of  3 to  5 pinnate  leaf- 
lets, irregularly  toothed  and  lobed,  nearly  smooth  at  maturity, 
thin,  bright  green,  pale  beneath,  turning  yellow  in  autumn. 
Flowers  dioecious,  opening  with  leaves;  staminate  silky,  in 
clusters;  pistillate  in  racemes,  inconspicuous,  wind-fertilized. 
Early  spring.  Fruit,  racemes  of  flat,  winged  keys,  lj  to  2 
inches  long,  ripe  in  September,  but  persistent  till  spring. 
Dist.:  Vermont  to  Montana;  south  to  Florida  and  west  to 
Utah.  Rare  east  of  the  Appalachian  Mountains. 


*10 


Sycamobe  Maple  (Acer  pseudo-platanus) . The  most  im- 
portant hardwood  of  Europe,  introduced  into  America  as  a 
shade  tree;  planted  in  avenues  in  Eastern  cities;  thrifty  but 
short-lived.  Distinguished  by  its  thick,  5-lobed,  crenate- 
bordered  leaves,  of  large  size,  and  by  the  very  long,  pendulous 
racemes  of  flowers  and  keys,  that  hang  all  winter,  giving  the 
leafless  trees  an  unkempt  look. 


m 


THE  BUCKEYES 

Trees  with  ill-smelling  bark  and  soft  wood.  Leaves  palm- 
ately  compound,  opposite,  large.  Flowers  perfect,  large, 
showy,  in  panicles.  Fruit  a nut;  one  or  two  of  them  in  a 
3-celled,  3-parted  husk. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Flowrers  yellow;  leaflets  5 to  7. 

B.  Husk  spiny  or  rough;  stamens  long. 

(jEsculus  glabra ) Ohio  Buckeye 
BB.  Husk  smooth;  stamens  short. 

( JEsculus  octandra ) Sweet  Buckeye 
A A.  Flowers  white;  leaflets  5. 

B.  Fruit  spiny,  globose.  {Exotic.) 

{jEsculus  Hippocastanum)  Horse  Chestnut 


212 


Ohio  Buckeye;  Fetid  Buckeye  (JZsculus  glabra , Willd). 
SO  to  70  feet.  Tall  tree  with  small,  broad  top  of  spreading 
branches.  Bark  ill-smelling,  gray,  broken  into  plates;  twigs 
brown,  pubescent  at  first,  marked  by  orange-colored  lenticels; 
buds  large,  opposite.  Wood  white,  shaded  into  brown  sap- 
wood,  close-grained,  light,  soft,  difficult  to  split,  used  for  artifi- 
cial limbs,  woodenware  and  pulp.  Leaves  opposite,  compound, 
yellow-green,  smooth,  except  along  midribs,  on  the  paler, 
under  side,  3 to  6 inches  long,  of  5 (rarely  7)  obovate, 
tapering,  saw-toothed  leaflets,  set  at  end  of  a slender  petiole. 
Autumn  color  yellow.  Flowers  greenish  yellow,  in  branched, 
end  clusters,  5 to  6 inches  long,  in  April  or  May,  calyx  bell- 
shaped, petals  4,  almost  alike,  upper  one  often  striped  with  red, 
stamens  7,  curved,  thrust  far  out,  hairy,  orange-red;  ovary 
hairy,  with  prickles  thickened  at  base.  Fruit,  October; 
globular,  1 to  lj  inches  in  diameter,  3-valved  husk,  prickly 
when  green,  containing  brown  nut,  with  white  patch.  Kernel 
bitter.  Dist.:  River  bottom  land,  Pennsylvania  to  Iowa; 
south  to  Alabama,  Kansas,  Oklahoma.  Abundant  in  Ohio, 
the  “ Buckeye  State.” 


213 


Yellow,  or  Sweet  Buckeye;  Big  Buckeye  (JEsculus 
octandra,  Marsh).  50  to  80  feet.  Large,  handsome  tree  with 
pyramidal  head  of  small,  pendulous  limbs,  and  orange-brown, 
smooth  twigs,  with  large,  blunt  winter  buds.  Bark  brown, 
dark,  with  shallow  fissures  and  scaly  plates.  Wood  light, 
soft,  creamy  white,  close-grained,  difficult  to  split,  used  for 
artificial  limbs,  wooden  ware,  and  pulp.  Leaves  of  5 to  7 
elliptical  or  obovate,  tapering,  sharply  serrate  leaflets,  4 to  6 
inches  long,  on  the  end  of  a petiole  of  equal  length;  dark  yellow- 
green  above,  dull  beneath,  turning  yellow  in  autumn.  Flow- 
ers showy,  yellow,  tubular,  in  dense,  terminal,  erect,  pubescent 
clusters,  5 to  7 inches  long,  in  early  spring,  with  leaves.  Fruit 
2 to  3 inches  in  diameter,  globular,  smooth,  pitted,  3-valved 
husks,  containing  brown  nut,  sweet  enough  to  be  eaten  by 
cattle.  Dist.:  Pennsylvania  to  Alabama;  west  to  Iowa  and 
Texas.  Cultivated;  especially  a red-flowered  form  found  on 
mountains  from  West  Virginia  southward. 


214 


Horse  Chestnut  (jEscuIus  Hippocastanum,  Linn.).  A 
favorite  avenue  and  park  tree  in  Europe,  that  grows  even 
more  vigorously  in  our  Eastern  States  than  abroad.  It  is 
planted  in  all  temperate  countries,  for  its  showy,  creamy 
flowers,  that  form  large,  terminal  spikes,  not  unlike  those  of 
potted  hyacinths,  at  the  ends  of  twigs.  These  come  out  with 
the  opening  leaves,  from  large,  pointed  buds,  formed  the  pre- 
vious summer.  The  shining,  brown  nuts,  one  or  two  in  each 
3-valved  capsule,  or  husk,  spiny  outside,  have  white  spots,  the 
surface  where  they  were  attached.  Inedible,  because  of  their 
bitter  principle,  they  are  dearly  loved  by  children  who  hoard 
them  as  they  fall,  in  the  late  summer. 


215 


Indian  Cherry;  Yellow  Buckthorn  ( Rhamnus  Car* 
liniana , Walt.).  20  to  35  feet.  Slender,  spreading  tree,  or 
tall  shrub,  with  thornless,  angular  twigs,  reddish,  becoming 
gray.  Bark  gray,  blotched  with  black,  slightly  furrowed. 
Wood  hard,  close-grained,  brittle,  light  brown.  Leaves  alter- 
nate, elliptical,  acute,  faintly  serrate,  2 to  5 inches  long,  yellow- 
green,  with  paler  lining,  and  yellow  veins.  Petioles  short. 
Flowers  small,  on  axillary  cymes,  pubescent,  after  leaves. 
Fruit  berry-like,  2-  to  4-celled  drupe,  red  as  it  ripens,  becoming 
black,  thin-fleshed,  sweet,  dry.  with  2 to  4 beny  nutlets. 
Dist.:  Limestone  hills  and  bottom  lands.  Long  Island  to 
Florida;  west  to  Nebraska  and  Texas.  Sometimes  planted 
as  an  ornamental  tree,  for  the  brightness  of  its  cherry-likf 
fruits. 


Illustration  from  “Hough's  Handbook  oj  Tree*” 


THE  LINDENS 

Trees  with  mucilaginous  sap,  tough  inner  bark  and  broad, 
dense  head.  Wood  soft,  white.  Leaves  alternate,  deciduous, 
broad,  unsymmetrical,  toothed,  with  veins  branching  strongly 
on  side  next  to  petiole.  Flowers  creamy,  fragrant,  perfect, 
clustered  in  cymes;  borne  on  narrow  leaf-like  blades.  Fruit 
a dry,  1-  to  2-seeded,  globular  nut. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Leaves  green  on  both  sides. 

B,  Linings  of  leaves  nearly,  or  quite,  smooth;  fruit 
ovoid. 

( Tilia  Americana ) American  Linden 
BB.  Linings  of  leaves  pubescent;  fruit  globose. 

( Tilia  yubescens)  Downy  Basswood 
A A.  Leaves  pale  below;  fruit  globose. 

( Tilia  heteroyhylla)  White  Basswood 


217 


White  Basswood;  Bee  Tree;  Linden  ( Tilia  heter * 
ophylla , Vent.).  50  to  60  feet.  Lusty,  handsome,  narrowly 
pyramidal  tree,  with  green  or  red  twigs,  with  pale,  large  len- 
ticels,  and  tough  inner  bark,  used  for  ropes.  Bark  thin, 
furrowed,  the  ridges  scaly.  Wood  pale  reddish  brown, 
soft,  close-grained.  Leaves  alternate,  unsymmetrical  at  base, 
heart-shaped  or  truncate,  narrowly  tapering  to  sharp  apex, 
saw-toothed,  4 to  7 inches  long,  4 to  5 inches  wide,  bright 
green,  silvery  white,  downy  beneath,  on  stems  2 to  3 inches 
long.  Flowers  in  June,  fragrant,  nectar-laden,  creamy  yellow, 
in  pendent  cluster,  with  narrow,  leaf-like  green  bract  attached 
to  peduncle  near  base.  Fruit  nut-like,  dry,  1- to  2-seeded, 
size  of  a pea,  grayish,  pubescent,  in  cluster  winged  with  dry 
bract,  narrow,  leaf-like,  2 to  3 inches  long.  Dist.:  Slopes  and 
stream  banks,  southern  New  York  to  Alabama,  along  west 
slopes  of  Appalachian  Mountains;  west  along  the  valley  of  the 
Ohio  River  to  its  mouth. 


218 


Downy  Basswood;  Linden  (Tilia  pubescens,  Ait.).  30  to 
40  feet.  Small  tree  with  slender  branches  and  rusty-pubescent 
twigs.  Bark  scaly  on  ridges  between  parallel  fissures.  Red- 
dish brown.  Wood  light  brown,  close-grained,  soft.  Leaves 
ovate,  acuminate,  unsymmetrical  at  base,  4 to  5 inches  long, 
hoary  tomentose  when  they  unfold,  becoming  at  maturity 
dark,  smooth  or  pubescent  above,  rusty-downy  beneath,  2 to  3 
inches  wide,  on  short  stalks.  Flowers  in  May,  creamy,  hairy, 
fragrant,  clustered  on  winged  stems.  Fruit  globular,  or 
oblong  nuts  J to  | inch  in  diameter,  rusty-hairy.  Dist.: 
North  Carolina  to  Florida,  near  coast,  and  around  the  Gulf 
to  Texas;  then  north  into  Arkansas.  Not  a common  forest 
tree. 

European  lindens  are  successfully  grown  in  parks  in  this 
country,  the  native  species  being  but  sparingly  cultivated. 
Three  fine  species  have  silvery,  silky  leaf  linings.  The  com- 
mon linden  of  the  Old  World  has  dainty  leaves,  and  is  a hand- 
somer tree  here  than  our  broad-leaved  T.  Americana.  The 
bloom  of  the  immigrant  species  is  more  abundant  than  that  of 
the  native  kinds. 


219 


THE  TUPELOS  AND  THE  DOGWOODS 

TheCornelFamily  is  a large  temperate  zone  group  compris- 
ing fifteen  genera,  a few  of  which  are  tropical.  Comparatively 
few  species  are  arborescent.  Two  genera  in  the  United  States 
have  species  of  tree  habit.  They  both  include  ornamental 
trees  with  showy  flowers  and  fruit,  and  foliage  of  exceptional 
beauty.  The  wood  of  all  is  extremely  hard  and  close-textured. 

KEY  TO  GENERA 

A.  Leaves  alternate;  flowers  and  fruits  inconspicuous. 

1.  Genus  NYSSA,  Linn. 

The  Tupelos 

A A.  Leaves  opposite  (except  alternifolia) ; flowers  and 
fruits  showy. 

2.  Genus  CORNUS,  Linn. 

The  Dogwoods 


220 


Tupelo,  Pepperidge;  Sour  or  Black  Gum  ( Nyssa  syl- 
taticcij  Marsh).  50  to  100  feet.  Medium-sized  tree,  of  ir- 
regular, variable  shape;  limbs  short,  tortuous,  rigid,  densely 
twiggy.  Bark  rough,  dark  gray,  broken  into  many-sided 
plates;  twigs  green  to  orange,  often  downy.  Wood  heavy, 
tough,  cross-grained,  hard  to  work,  used  for  mauls,  pulleys, 
hubs,  and  woodenware.  Leaves  entire,  oval,  leathery,  dark, 
green,  shining  above,  often  fuzzy  beneath,  2 to  4 inches  long, 
turning  to  scarlet.  Flowers  in  May,  yellow-green,  small,  in- 
conspicuous, in  axillary  clusters.  Fruit  drupes,  blue-black, 
sour,  ovoid,  § inch  long,  1 to  3 on  stalk.  Dist.:  Maine  to 
Florida ; west  to  Michigan,  Missouri,  and  Texas.  Swamps  and 
river  banks , 


221 


Ogeeche  Lime;  Sour  Tupelo  ( Nyssa  Ogeche , Marsh). 
50  to  70  feet.  A small,  twiggy  tupelo,  with  white  or  gray 
hoary  twigs,  leaves  obovate,  4 to  6 inches  long,  and  clustered 
red  fruits  the  size  of  plums  and  pecans.  It  is  a strikingly 
beautiful  tree  in  the  time  of  fruiting,  and  though  it  grows  in 
inundated  land,  its  drupes  are  gathered  for  preserves.  Coast 
of  South  Carolina  to  Florida. 


222 


The  Cotton  Gum  ( Nyssa  aquatica , Marsh)  is  a huge- 
trunked, tall  swamp  tree,  whose  superb  dome  is  covered  in 
early  spring  with  a coating  of  cottony  down  on  the  young 
growth.  Later  the  leaf  linings  only  remain  white.  The 
purple  fruits  are  lost  among  the  scarlet  leaves. 


223 


Alternate-leaved  Dogwood  ( Cornus  alternifolia , Linn.) 
15  to  30  feet.  A small  tree  or  shrub  with  low,  round  head 
made  of  layers  of  horizontal  branches.  Bark  smooth,  reddisl 
brown;  twigs  reddish  green.  Wood  heavy,  hard,  fine  textured, 
brown.  Buds  pale  brown,  acute,  scaly.  Leaves  alternate 
3 to  5 inches  long,  oval,  pointed,  entire,  whitish  beneath,  on 
slim  petioles.  Flowers  in  May,  creamy  white,  small,  in  flat 
cymes,  lj  to  3 inches  across,  on  short  lateral  branches.  Fruits 
October,  dark  blue,  berry-like,  J inch  across,  on  red  peduncles, 
nutlets  1 to  2,  grooved.  Dist.:  Moist,  well-drained  soil. 
Nova  Scotia  to  Minnesota;  south  to  Georgia  and  Alabama 
Handsome  ornamental  tree. 


224 


THE  HEATHS 

Trees  usually  of  small  size  and  high  ornamental  value. 
Leaves  simple,  alternate,  mostly  evergreen.  Flowers  perfect, 
regular,  in  many-flowered  clusters.  Fruits,  dry  capsules  or 
berry-like  drupes. 

KEY  TO  GENERA  AND  SPECIES 

A.  Leaves  evergreen  or  sub-evergreen. 

B.  Flowers  large,  showy;  fruit  a 5-celled  capsule. 

C.  Capsules  conical;  flower  clusters  terminal. 

1.  Genus  RHODODENDRON,  Linn. 

( R . maximum)  Great  Rhododendron 
CC.  Capsules  globular;  flower  clusters  axillary. 

2.  Genus  KALMIA,  Linn. 

( K . latifolia)  Mountain  Laurel 
AA.  Leaves  deciduous;  flowers  small,  numerous,  in  ter- 
minal compound  racemes;  fruit  a conical  5-celled 
capsule. 

Sc  Genus  OXYDENDRUM,  DC. 

(0 . arboreum ) Sourwood 


Sourwood  ( Oxydendrum  arboreum)  . Slender-stemmed 
tree,  with  oblong,  round-topped  head.  Bark  smooth,  reddish 
gray,  scaly.  Wood  reddish  brown,  heavy,  fine-grained,  hard. 
Buds  axillary,  small,  partly  hidden,  red.  Leaves  alternate, 
deciduous,  membraneous,  oblong  or  lanceolate,  entire,  3 to  6 
inches  long,  smooth.  Flowers  June  or  July,  perfect,  in  pan- 
icles, 7 to  8 inches  long,  of  racemed  white  bells,  narrowed  and 
frilled  at  the  tops.  Fruit  a downy  capsule,  5-celled;  seeds 
numerous,  needle-like.  Preferred  habitat,  moist  woods. 
Dist.:  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  and  Indiana;  south  to  Florida, 
Alabama,  Louisiana,  and  Arkansas.  Uses:  Ornamental  tree, 
valued  for  its  flowers  and  vivid  scarlet  autumn  foliage. 


226 


Persimmon  ( Diospyros  Virginiana,  Linn.)-  A slender, 
tall  tree  with  handsome  round  head,  rarely  over  50  feet  high; 
twigs  angular,  often  hollow.  Bark  broken  into  thick,  scaly 
plates,  dark  gray  or  brown;  twigs  reddish,  pubescent,  becom- 
ing gray.  Wood  very  hard,  dark  brown,  with  pale  sap  wood, 
fine-grained,  tough,  like  hickory;  not  durable  in  soil.  Buds 
small,  pointed,  reddish.  Leaves  alternate,  simple,  oval, 
pointed,  4 to  6 inches  long,  thick,  shining  above,  paler  beneath ; 
petioles  short,  stout.  Flowers  June,  after  leaves,  dioecious, 
small,  yellowish  green:  staminate  in  3-flowered  cymes,  scarcely 
opening;  pistillate  solitary,  wide  open,  with  imperfect  stamens. 
Fruit  a reddish-yellow  berry  1 to  lj  inches  in  diameter,  pulpy, 
sweet,  edible  when  ripe;  astringent  when  green.  Preferred 
habitat,  light,  sandy  soil,  or  moist  woodlands,  fence  rows 
and  abandoned  fields.  Dist.:  Rhode  Island  to  Florida;  west 
to  Kansas  and  Texas.  Uses:  Worthy  of  planting  for  its  rich 
green  foliage  in  late  summer,  and  its  graceful  habit.  Comes 
readily  from  seed,  but  is  transplanted  with  difficulty.  Fruit 
shows  little  improvement  in  cultivation.  Wood  is  used  in 
turnery,  for  shoe  lasts,  plane  stocks,  and  shuttles. 

#27 


Sweet  Leaf,  Horse  Sugar  ( Symplocos  tinctoria,  L’Her.V 
A small,  open-headed  tree,  10  to  30  feet  high,  with  short  trunk 
and  slim,  ascending  branches.  Bark  ashy  gray  with  reddish 
tinge,  warty.  Buds  ovate,  with  triangular  scales.  Leaves 
leathery,  sweet-tasting,  dark  green  and  lustrous  above;  paler 
and  pubescent  beneath,  5 to  6 inches  long,  1 to  2 inches  wide, 
tapering  at  base  and  apex;  entire  or  remotely  toothed  on  mar- 
gins; petioles  short,  winged.  Flowers  white,  fragrant,  in 
close  axillary  clusters;  March  to  May.  Fruit,  a brown,  nut- 
like drupe  with  1 seed.  Preferred  habitat  moist,  shady  wood- 
lands. Dist. : Delaware  to  Florida,  west  to  Blue  Ridge  Moun- 
tains, and  in  Gulf  States  to  Louisiana  and  southern  Arkansas 
Horses  and  cattle  browse  the  foliage. 

Illustration  from,  “ Hough's  Handbook  of  Trees’ 9 


t£X 


THE  ASHES  AND  THE  FRINGE  TREE 

1.  Genus  FRAXINUS,  Linn. 

Valuable  timber  and  ornamental  trees.  Leaves  deciduous, 
/.innately  compound,  opposite.  Flowers  small,  inconspicuous, 
in  compound  panicles;  the  two  kinds  (except  in  A.)  borne  on 
separate  trees.  Fruit  a dry  seed,  winged  like  a dart. 

KEY  TO  MOST  IMPORTANT  SERIES 

A.  Twigs  4-angled;  flowers  perfect. 

( F . quadrangulata)  Blue  Ash 
A A.  Twigs  round;  flowers  dioecious. 

B.  Branchlets,  petioles,  and  leaf  linings  smooth. 

C.  Buds  brown;  leaflets  stalked. 

D.  Leaves  whitish  beneath. 

E.  Wings  of  fruit  broad;  leaflets 
blunt. 

(F.  Caroliniana)  Swamp  Ash 
EE.  Wings  of  fruit  narrow;  leaflets 
taper -pointed. 

( F . Americana)  White  Ash 
229 


DD.  Leaves  green  beneath. 

(F.  lanceolata)  Green  Asb 
CC.  Buds  black;  leaflets  sessile. 

( F . nigra ) Black  Ash 

BB.  Branchlets,  petioles,  and  leaf  linings  downy. 

C.  Twigs  slender;  keys  very  long  and  slender. 

(F.  Pennsylvanica)  Red  Ash 
CC.  Twigs  stout;  leaves  pale  green. 

D.  Trunk  bulging  at  base. 

( F . profunda)  Pumpkin  Ash 


230 


White  Ash  ( Fraxinus  Americana , Linn.).  75  to  125  feet. 
Large,  stately  tree  with  tall  trunk  and  pyramidal  or  round  head 
of  erect,  stout  branches,  ending  with  pale  twigs,  roughened  by 
projecting,  roundish  leaf  scars,  and  plump,  leathery  buds. 
Bark  brown  or  gray,  criss-crossed  with  shallow  furrows  to 
form  diamond-shaped  plates.  Wood  brown,  tough,  elastic, 
coarse-grained,  heavy,  hard,  not  durable  in  soil,  used  for 
agricultural  implements,  vehicle  frames,  tool-handles,  oars, 
stairs,  fuel.  Leaves  opposite,  compound  with  usually  7- 
pointed  white-lined  leaflets  on  slender  stalk,  8 to  12  inches 
long,  turning  purple  and  yellow.  Flowers  May,  before 
leaves,  dioecious;  sterile  trees  bearing  crowded,  purplish 
stamen  clusters;  fertile  trees,  racemes  of  greenish  pistils. 
Fruit,  clustered,  fiat,  pointed  seeds,  each  with  lance-like,  flat 
wing,  notched  at  tip.  Dist.:  Newfoundland  to  Manitoba; 
south  to  Florida;  west  to  Arkansas  and  Texas.  Preferred 
habitat,  deep,  rich  woodlands.  An  admirable  street  and  shade 
tree. 


231 


Green  Ash  ( Fraxinus  lanceolate  Borkh.).  50  to  60  feet 
Round-headed  tree,  with  slender,  spreading  branches;  twigs 
gray.  Bark  gray,  regularly  furrowed;  branches  smooth. 
Wood  heavy,  hard,  strong,  brown,  coarse-grained,  used  as 
white  ash,  but  inferior.  Leaves  smooth,  green  on  both  sides, 
lustrous  above,  of  5 to  0 leaflets,  each  narrowly  ovate,  taper- 
ing, sharply  serrate,  on  short  stalks.  Flowers  before  leaves, 
dioecious.  Fruit  slender- seeded,  with  narrow  wing  more  than 
1 inch  long.  Dist.:  Commonest  from  Rockies  through  Mis- 
sissippi Basin.  Important  shade  tree.  Dakota  to  Texas.  ttare 
from  Lake  Champlain  to  Florida 


232 


Black  Ash  ( Fraxinus  nigra . Marsh.).  50  to  90  feet. 
Slender,  upright  tree  with  narrow  head;  twigs  stout.  Bark 
close  textured,  dark  gray,  with  interlacing  furrows;  twigs 
smooth,  gray,  with  pale  lenticelso  Wood  brown,  soft,  heavy, 
tough,  splitting  into  annual5  layers  along  the  porous  spring 
wood.  Buds  broadly  ovate,  almost  black,  granular-pubescent; 
inner  scales  becoming  leaf-like.  Leaves  in  May,  12  to  16 
inches  long,  of  7 to  1 1 oblong-lanceolate  leaflets,  all  but  term- 
inal one  sessile;  margins  with  incurving  teeth,  upper  surfaces 
dark  green,  smooth;  lower  pale  with  rufous  hairs  in  tufts 
along  pale  midribs;  fall  early,  after  turning  rusty  brown. 
Flowers  May,  before  leaves,  dioecious,  in  axillary  panicles; 
stamens  dark  purple  with  short  filaments;  pistils  with  long, 
cleft,  purple  stigmas,  often  with  abortive  stamens  below. 
Fruit  winged  keys  in  open  panicles,  8 to  10  inches  long;  seed 
flat,  short,  surrounded  by  wing  which  is  broad,  thin,  and  con- 
spicuously notched.  Preferred  habitat,  deep,  cold  swamps 
and  stream  borders.  Dist..  Newfoundland  and  north  shore 
of  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  to  Manitoba;  south  to  Delaware  and 
the  mountains  of  Virginia,  southern  Illinois,  central  Missouri, 
and  northwestern  Arkansas.  Wood  used  for  furniture,  bas- 
kets, chair  bottoms,  barrel  hoops,  etc. 


233 


Red  Ash  ( Fraxinus  Pennsylvanica , Marsh).  A small, 
spreading  tree,  40  to  60  feet  high,  with  irregular,  compact 
head  of  twiggy  branches.  Bark  reddish,  closely  furrowed, 
scaly;  young  twigs  pubescent.  Buds  small,  dark  brown, 
nodes  close  together.  Leaves  10  to  12  inches  long,  of  7 to  9 
leaflets,  lanceolate,  coarsely  serrate,  on  short  stalks,  smooth, 
yellow  green  above,  silvery  pubescence  on  petioles  and  leaf- 
linings;  yellow  in  fall.  Flowers  May,  with  leaves;  dioecious, 
in  hairy  panicles;  pistillate  greenish,  inconspicuous.  Fruit 
slender,  clustered  keys,  1 to  2 inches  long,  on  hairy  stems; 
wing  1 inch  long  and  extending  halfway  around  the  body. 
Preferred  habitat,  moist  soil  near  streams  or  lakes.  Dist.: 
New  Brunswick  to  Ontario  and  the  Black  Hills  in  Dakota; 
south  to  Florida,  Alabama,  and  Nebraska.  Uses:  Inferior 
to  white  ash  in  all  ways.  Often  planted  in  eastern  United 
States  for  shade  and  ornament. 


234 


Blue  Ash  ( Fraxinus  quadrangulata , MichxJ.  Conceals 
its  bluing  in  its  inner  bark.  Crush  a bit  of  it  in  water  and  the 
dye  appears.  But  this  is  not  always  a convenient  way  to 
identify  a tree.  There  is  a simpler  and  more  satisfactory  way. 
Take  a look  at  the  twigs.  Are  they  4-sided  toward  the  tips? 
Quadrangulata  means  4-angled.  This  obvious  trait  and  the 
perfect  flowers  set  the  blue  ash  apart  from  all  the  others.  The 
leaves  and  seeds  might  easily  be  confused  with  those  of  the 
black  ash  if  form  alone  were  considered.  But  the  foliage  mass 
of  a blue  ash  is  yellow  green,  much  lighter  in  color  than  that 
of  its  sombre  cousin  of  the  swamps. 


235 


Pumpkin  Ash  ( Fraxinus  profunda , Bush)  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  beautiful  of  our  ash  trees,  and  leads  all  the 
others  in  the  size  of  its  leaves  and  keys.  The  velvety  pubes- 
cence of  its  young  shoots  and  leaf  linings  might  confuse  it 
with  the  red  ash,  but  that  its  branchlets  are  stout.  The  leaves 
are  10  to  18  inches  long,  with  broadly  lanceolate  leaflets, 
pointed  and  wavy-margined,  leathery,  with  downy  linings 
and  leaf  stalks.  The  keys  are  to  3 inches  long,  with  wings 
that  broaden  and  round  at  the  tips.  They  are  borne  in  large, 
pendulous  and  very  profuse  clusters. 

This  tree  grows  in  deep  river  swamps  in  southeastern  Mis- 
souri and  eastern  Arkansas,  and  also  in  western  Florida  along 
the  Appalachicola  River.  It  will  probably  be  found  in  swamps 
intermediate  between  these  two  regions.  It  has  only  been 
discovered  and  named  within  the  past  eight  years.  Mr.  Bush 
found  it  first  in  1893,  and  four  years  later  gave  it  a name, 
profunda , which  probably  refers  to  the  almost  bottomless 
bayous  in  which  it  often  grows.  The  common  name,  pumpkin 
ash,  refers  to  the  bulging  base  of  the  tree 


236 


Water,  or  Swamp  Ash  ( F . Caroliniana , Mill.)  grows  to 
40  feet  high  in  swampy  lands  skirting  the  coast  from  Virginia 
to  middle  Florida,  and  west  to  the  Sabine  River  in  Texas. 
It  follows  the  deep  river  swamps  of  the  Mississippi  north  to 
Arkansas.  The  leaves  are  small,  and  the  little  seeds  have 
exceptionally  broad  wings. 


237 


2.  Genus  CHIONANTHUS,  Linn. 

Fringe  Tree  ( Chionanthus  Virginica , Linn.).  A slender, 
narrow-headed  tree,  20  to  30  feet  high,  or  less.  Bark  reddish, 
scaly;  branches  gray  or  brown.  Wood  light  brown,  close, 
heavy,  hard.  Buds  small,  brown,  ovate;  inner  scales  becoming 
leaf-like.  Leaves  opposite,  simple,  4 to  8 inches  long,  1 to  4 
inches  broad,  smooth,  except  on  veins  below,  dark  green, 
paler  below,  oval  or  oblong  on  short  petioles;  yellow  in  early 
autumn.  Flowers  May  and  June,  perfect,  white,  each  with 
4 slender,  curving  petals  1 inch  long,  in  graceful,  pendulous 
clusters.  Fruit  in  September,  clustered  1-seeded  drupes,  1 
inch  long,  dark  blue,  with  slight  bloom;  flesh  dry;  skin  thick 
Dist. : Rich,  moist  soil  southern  Pennsylvania  to  Florida;  west 
to  Arkansas  and  Texas.  Admirable  ornamental  tree,  hardy 
to  New  England. 


238 


r 


THE  CATALPAS 
Genus  CATALPA,  Scop. 

Trees  with  soft,  coarse-grained,  durable  wood.  Leaves 
large,  simple,  heart-shaped,  opposite  or  whorled.  Flowers 
large,  white,  showy,  perfect,  in  panicles.  Fruit  long,  cylin- 
drical pods  full  of  compressed,  winged,  and  tufted  seeds. 


239 


Catalpa;  Indian  Bean  {Catalpa  Catalpa,  Karst).  Low, 
spreading  tree,  25  to  50  feet  high,  with  broad,  irregular  head 
of  coarse  twigs.  Bark  light  brown,  reddish,  smooth.  Wood 
coarse-grained,  soft,  light  brown,  durable  in  contact  with  the 
ground.  Buds  all  lateral,  above  circular  leaf  scar,  minute, 
globular;  inner  scales  grow  to  2 inches  long.  Leaves  bright 
green,  opposite  or  in  3’s  6 to  8 inches  long,  half  as  wide, 
ovate,  entire,  or  sometimes  lobed  and  wavy  margined,  pu- 
bescent beneath;  of  unpleasant  odor;  petioles  stout,  long, 
terete.  Flowers,  June  or  July,  perfect,  large,  white,  irregular, 
the  frilled  corolla  marked  with  two  yellow  stripes  and  numer- 
ous purplish  dots;  pedicels  downy;  panicles  loose,  6 to  10 
inches  long.  Fruit  a green,  cylindrical  pod,  6 to  20  inches 
long,  2-valved,  filled  with  flat,  tufted  seeds.  Preferred  hab- 
itat, rich  soil  of  river  banks  or  shady  woods.  Dist. : Georgia 
and  Florida  to  Mississippi,  but  naturalized  in  many  other 
states.  Uses:  A hardy  ornamental  tree. 


240 


Western  Catalpa  ( C . speciosa,  Engelm.)  is  hardier  than 
the  Southern  species,  and  it  grows  in  more  upright  form, 
promising  more  and  better  timber  in  a given  time.  It  has 
stout,  thick- walled  fruits,  thicker,  more  pointed  leaves,  and 
fewer  flowers,  less  gayly  spotted,  in  a cluster.  This  tree  ranges 
in  bottom  lands  from  lower  Indiana  and  Illinois  to  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  and  Texas.  It  occurs  in  western  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee.  This  is  the  best  species  for  the  West. 


241 


Paulownia  ( Paulownia  imperialis,  Sieb.  & Zucc.)  is  a 
member  of  the  Spurge  Family  not  so  far  away  from  the  catalpa, 
botanically  speaking.  In  lustiness  of  growth  each  excels. 
The  heart-shaped  leaves  are  often  a foot  across.  The  hardi- 
ness of  the  tree  commends  it.  Even  as  far  north  as  Montreal 
it  comes  up  from  roots  every  year,  forming  long  shoots  which 
bear  leaves  astonishingly  large  compared  with  trees  indigenous 
to  the  region.  The  paulownia  blossoms  before  the  leaves. 
Its  flowers  are  deliciously  fragrant,  and  no  tree  blossom  has 
more  delicate  color.  Blue  is  unusual  among  tree  blossoms,  and 
these  trees,  like  great  blue-flowered  catalpas,  are  striking 
objects  in  parks  and  along  avenues.  Native  of  Japan  and 
China,  the  paulownia  feels  enough  at  home  already  in  America 
to  run  wild  in  some  places.  The  clustered  seed  balls  are  un- 
sightly in  winter. 


24? 


THE  VIBURNUMS 

Small  trees  with  ill-smelling  wood,  and  tough,  slender 
branches.  Leaves  simple,  opposite,  ovate,  2 to  4 inches  long, 
with  margined  petioles.  Flowers  white,  in  broad  termina 
:ymes.  Fruit  a blue,  berry-like  drupe  with  flat  stone. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES 

A.  Branches  slender;  winter  buds  long  pointed;  petiole 
margins  wavy,  broad. 

{Viburneum  Lent  ago)  sheepberry 

•iA.  Branches  stout;  winter  buds  stout;  petiole  mar- 
gins narrow,  not  wavy. 

B.  Leaves  and  petioles  rusty  pubescent. 

( Viburneum  rufidulum)  Rusty  Nannyberry 
BB.  Leaves  and  petioles  smooth. 

{Viburneum  prunifolium)  black  haw 

213 


Sheepberry;  Nannyberry  ( Viburnum  Leniago , Linn.). 
Bush  to  25  feet.  Small,  round-headed  tree  of  many  slim, 
drooping  branches.  Bark  brown,  broken  into  thick,  scaly 
plates.  Leaves  ovate,  taper-pointed,  finely  saw-toothed, 
rounded  to  short,  winged,  and  grooved  petiole;  at  first  bronze 
green,  shining,  coated  with  red  hairs,  on  ribs;  at  maturity 
smooth,  pale  beneath,  with  black  dots;  length  2 to  3 inches; 
autumn  colors,  orange  and  red.  Flowers  April  to  June,  in 
creamy,  fragrant  cymes,  flat,  3 to  5 inches  across,  perfect. 
Fruit  flat  clusters  of  oval,  dark- blue  drupes,  rather  juicy,  on 
coral-red  stems,  drooping;  stone  solitary,  large.  Dist.:  Rocky 
hillsides,  forest  borders,  fence  rows.  Province  of  Quebec, 
through  states  to  Wyoming;  south  to  Georgia  and  Kansas. 
Cultivated. 


244 


Rusty  Nannyberry  (V.  rufidulum,  Raf.)  is  easily  dis- 
tinguished by  the  rusty  hairs  on  its  winter  buds,  petioles,  and 
the  veins  on  the  lower  side  of  the  leaf.  It  is  quite  as  handsome 
(though  not  yet  as  well  known)  -as  the  smooth  species  just 
described.  It  has  white  flowers  and  large,  bright  blue  berries. 
It  grows  from  Virginia  to  Florida,  and  west  to  Illinois  and 
Texas.  In  gardens  it  has  proved  hardy  in  Boston. 


245 


Black  Haw  (F.  prunifolium,  Linn.),  with  leaves  like  & 
plum’s,  and  the  narrow  petiole  margin  smooth,  has  flowers  and 
fruits  very  much  like  those  of  the  others.  The  berries  are  a 
trifle  smaller  perhaps,  and  a shade  darker.  This  species  is 
smaller  throughout  than  the  other  two;  it  blooms  earlier,  and 
has  stout  branches,  like  V.  rufidulum.  It  is  found  from  Con- 
necticut to  Georgia,  and  west  to  Michigan,  Kansas,  and  Texas. 
In  European  parks  and  gardens  and  in  those  of  our  Eastern 
States  this  little  “stag  bush”  is  often  cultivated  for  its  hand- 
some flowers  and  foliage  and  its  persistent  fruit. 


246 


KEYS  TO  THE  PRINCIPAL  TREE  FAMILIES 


KEY  TO  THE  CONE-BEARING  EVERGREENS,  THE  CONIFERS 

A.  The  Evergreens,  or  Conifers 

B.  Fruit,  a cone 

C.  Foliage  needle-like,  conspicuous,  spirally  arranged 

D.  Arrangement  of  leaves,  few  in  sheathed  bundle  The  Pines 

DD.  Arrangement  of  leaves,  many  in  unsheathed  tufts,  deciduous  The  Larches 
DDD.  Arrangement  of  leaves,  solitary  and  scattered 

E.  Leaves  flat,  blunt,  pale  beneath,  ^-ranked  on  twig 

F.  Cones  erect,  large;  branches  stiff;  bark  smooth,  with  resin  blisters 

The  Firs 

FF.  Cones  pendent,  small;  branches  supple;  bark  rough;  leaves  on  minute 
stalks  The  Hemlocks 

EE.  Leaves  4-sided,  sharp  at  tip,  not  pale  beneath;  standing  out  in  all  directions 

The  Spruce * 

CC.  Foliage  scale-like,  minute,  4-ranked,  close  pressed  to  twig;  cones  small 

The  White  Cedars 

BB.  Fruit,  a blue  berry;  foliage  spiny  or  scale-like,  or  both  The  Junipers , or  Red  Cedars 

247 


KEY  TO  THE  BROAD-LEAVED  TREES  WITH  LEAVES  OPPOSITE  ON  THE  TWIG 


A.  Leaves  simple 

B.  Fruit,  winged,  1-seeded  keys,  in  pairs  The  Maples 

BB.  Fruit,  long,  rod-like  pods;  leaves  large  The  Catalpas 

BBB.  Fruit,  clustered  berries 

C.  Margins  of  leaves  not  saw-toothed  The  Dogwoods 

CC.  Margins  of  leaves  saw-toothed  The  Viburnums 

A A.  Leaves  compound 

B.  Fruit,  a slender  winged  dart,  in  thick  clusters;  leaflets  along  sides  of  petiole 

The  Ashes 

BB.  Fruit,  a large  nut,  in  leathery  husk;  leaflets  attached  to  end  of  petiole 

The  Buckeyes 


KEY  TO  BROAD-LEAVED  TREES  WITH  LEAVES  ALTERNATE  ON  THE  TWIG 


A. 

B. 


Leaves  simple 

Bases  of  leaves  symmetrical 
C.  Fruit  fleshy,  globular,  more  or  less  edible 

D.  Seeds  solitary 

E.  Leaf  margins  saw-toothed 
EE.  Leaf  margins  not  saw-toothed 

248 


The  Plums  and  Cherries 
The  Tupelos 


PD.  Seeds  several,  in  walled  cores 
E.  Cores  papery 

F.  Fruit  small,  berry-like 
FF.  Fruit  large 

EE.  Cores  bony;  fruit  thin-fleshed 
CC.  Fruits  dry 

D.  Seeds  borne  in  protecting  cups  or  burs 

E.  Burs  scaly,  not  opening  when  ripe 
EE.  Burs  spiny,  opening  in  four  parts 

F.  Nuts  3-angled,  small 
FF.  Nuts  conical,  larger 
DD.  Seeds  borne  in  swinging  balls 

E.  Leaves  star-shaped;  twTigs  corky-ridged 
EE.  Leaves  broad,  3-  to  5-lobed;  bark  white,  shedding 

DDD.  Seeds  borne  in  cone-like  heads 
E.  Bark  splitting  horizontally 
EE.  Bark  smooth,  or  furrowed  vertically 

F.  Leaves  pointed  at  apex;  seeds  scarlet,  berry-like 
FF.  Leaves  square  or  notched  at  apex;  seeds  dry,  with 


The  Juneherries 
The  Apples 
The  Hawthorns 


The  Oaks 

The  Beeches 
The  Chestnuts 

The  Sweet  Gum 
in  patches 

The  Sycamores 

The  Birches 

The  Magnolias 
flat  wing 

The  Tulip  Tree 


249 


DDDD.  Seeds  borne*  in  2-valved  pods,  on  long  catkins;  minute,  in 
E.  Leaves  narrow;  twigs  supple 
EE.  Leaves  broad;  twigs  stiff,  angular 
AA.  Leaves  compound 
B.  Fruit,  a flat  pod 
BB.  Fruit,  a nut 

C.  Husk  opening  when  ripe  by  4 valves 
CC.  Husk  not  opening  when  ripe 


cottony  floats 

The  Willow te 
The  Poplars 

The  Locusts 

The  Hickories 
The  Walnuts 


Abies  balsamea  ....... 

Fraseri 

Acacia  

three-thorned 

Acer  Floridanum 

negundo  

nigrum 

Pennsylvanicum 

platanoides 

pseudo-platanus 

rubrum 

saccharinum  . . . 

saccharum 

spicatum  

^Eseulus  glabra 

Hippocastanum 

octandra  

Ailan  thus 

glandulosa 


EX 


Alnus  incana 70 

maritima 71 

Alder,  hoary 70 

seaside 71 

speckled 70 

Amelanchier  Canadensis 157 

obovalis 136 

Apple,  fragrant  crab 154 

narrow-leaved  crab 155 

prairie  crab 135 

wild  crab 154 

Apples  153 

Aralia  spinosa 189 

Arbor  Vitae  23 

Asimina  triloba H6 

Ash,  black 233 

blue  235 

European  mountain 130 

#reen  232 


1ND 

21 

22 

188 

185 

139 

210 

208 

209 

124 

211 

137 

206 

207 

138 

213 

215 

214 

192 

192 


251 


Ash,  pumpkin 236  Beech,  weeping 

red  234  Beeches  

swamp 237  Bee  Tree 1 ’ 

water  237  Betula  alba 

white  231  lenta 

Ashes 229  lutea 

mountain 129,  156  nigra 

Aspen  126  papyrifera 

Balm  of  Gilead 50  populifolia 

Balsam  50  var.  laciniata 

Canada  21  var.  pendula 

she  22  Birch,  American  white 

Basswood 144  aspen-leaved 

downy... # 219  black  ’ . 

white  218  cherry 

Bayonet,  Spanish 33  canoe  

Beech 73  cut-leaved  white 

blue  64  European  white  

cut-leaved  white 67,  74  gray 66, 

European 74  paper  

purple 74  red  


74 

72 

218 

67 

69 

122 

123 

68 

66 

67 

67 

66 

66 

69 

69 

68 

67 

67 

122 

68 

123 


252 


Birch,  river 

sweet  

weeping  white 

yellow 

Birches 

Bitternut 

Bow  Wood 

Box  Elder  

Buckeye,  big 

fetid 

Ohio 

sweet  

yellow 

Buckeyes 

Buckthorn,  yellow  . . 

Burning  Bush 

Butternut  

Buttonwood  

Cabbage  Tree 

Carpinus  Caroliniana 
Cassena 


Castanea  alnifolia 7b' 

crenata 75 

dentata  127 

pumila 76 

sativa 75 

Catalpa  240 

Catalpa 240 

speciosa 241 

western  241 

Catalpas  239 

Cedar,  red 26 

white 23,  24 

Cedars 3 

Celtis  Mississippiensis 103 

occidentalis 103 

Cercis  Canadensis 141 

Chamsecyparis  thyoides 24 

Cherries 175 

Cherry,  bird  181 

choke 183 

Indian  216 


123 

69 

67 

122 

65 

42 

107 

210 

214 

213 

213 

214 

214 

212 

216 

204 

35 

119 

30 

64 

201 


253 


Cherry,  pin  

rum 

wild  black 

wild  red 

Chestnuts 75, 

horse 

Chinquapin 

Chionanthus  Virginica 

Chittan  Wood 

Cladrastis  lutea 

Color  Plates  121- 

Conifers  

Cornus  alternifolia 

asperifolia  

Florida 

Cotinus  Americanus 

Cotinus  

Cottonwood  

black  

swamp 

Crataegus  aestivalis 


Crataegus,  apiifolia  167 

apiomorpha 163 

aprica 164 

brachyacantha  169 

coccinea 134 

coccinoides  166 

cordata 168 

crus-galli  159 

Holmesiana 165 

macracantha 171 

mollis 173 

pruinosa 133 

Oxyacantha  172 

punctata  160 

submollis 174 

tomentosa 170 

viridis 162 

Cucumber  Tree 146 

large-leaved 112 

long-leaved  113 

yellow 146 


181 

182 

182 

181 

127 

215 

76 

238 

198 

186 

-152 

3 

224 

131 

132 

198 

198 

48 

51 

51 

161 


254 


Cypress,  bald  . * 25 

deciduous  25 

Dahoon  200 

Diospyros  Virginiana 227 

Dogwood,  alternate-leaved 224 

flowering 131,  132 

poison  196 

rough-leaved 131 

Dogwoods 220 

Elkwood  Ill 

Elm,  American 143 

cork  101 

red  100 

rock  101 

slippery  100 

water  104 

white  143 

winged 102 

Elms  98,  99 

Euonymus  atropurpureus 204 

Evergreens  3 

255 


Fagara  Clava-Herculis 190 

Fagus  Americana 73 

sylvatica  74 

Fir,  balsam 21,22 

Firs 3 

Fraxinus  Americana 231 

Caroliniana 237 

lanceolata  232 

nigra 233 

profunda  236 

Pennsylvanica  234 

quadrangulata  235 

Fringe  Tree  229,  238 

Ginkgo 28 

Gleditsia  triacanthos 185 

Gum,  black 221 

cotton 223 

sour  221 

Tree 148 

Gymnocladus  dioicus 187 

Hackberries 98 


Hackberry 

Hamamelis  Virginiana 

Haw  163, 

apple  

black  

dotted  

green  

hog’s 

long-spine  

May 

parsley 

pear  

red  165,  166,  173, 

scarlet  133, 

Hawthorn  

English 

Hawthorns  

Heaths 

Hemlock  

Carolina 

Hemlocks 


Hercules’  Club  189,  190 

Hickories 34 

Hickory,  big  bud 45 

big  shellbark 39 

bottom  shellbark  39 

little  shellbark  37 

North  Carolina  shagbark 38 

nutmeg  46 

pale-leaf 44 

pignut 41 

shagbark  37 

swamp 42 

water  43 

white  41 

Hicoria  alba . 45 

aquatica 43 

Carolina  septentrionalis  ......  38 

glabra 41 

laciniosa 39 

minima 42 

myristicseformis  46 


103 

149 

164 

161 

246 

160 

162 

169 

171 

161 

167 

170 

174 

134 

159 

172 

158 

225 

19 

20 

3 


2 56 


Hicoria,  ovata  . 
pecan. . . . 
villosa  . . . 

Hollies 

Holly  

meadow  . 
mountain 
swamp.  . . 


Hop  Tree  190, 

Hornbeam,  American 

hop 

Hornbeams 

Horse  sugar 

How  to  Know  the  Trees  v 


Ilex  cassine 

decidua  . 
monticola 
opaca. . . . 
vomitoria 
Indian  Bean  . . . 
Ironwood 


Judas  Tree 141 

Juglans  cinerea 35 

nigra 36 

June  Berry 157 

Juniper,  dwarf 27 

red  26 

Junipers 3 

Juniperus  communis  27 

Virginiana 26 

Kalmia  latifolia 151 

Kentucky  Coffee  Tree 187 

Keys  to  the  Principal  Tree  Families  247-250 

Larches  15 

Larix  Americana 15 

Laurel,  mountain  151 

Leguminosse  184 

Lime,  Ogeeche  222 

Linden 218 

American 144 

downy  219 

European 21S 


37 

40 

44 

199 

125 

202 

203 

202 

, 191 

64 

S3 

62 

228 

r-vn 

200 

202 

203 

125 

201 

240 

63 


257 


Lindens  

. . . 217 

Malus  augustifolia ..... 

155 

Liquidambar  Styraciflua 

. . . 148 

coronaria 

154 

Liriodendron  tulipifera  

. . . 147 

ioensis  

135 

Locust  

. . . 188 

Maple,  ash-leaved  . . . . 

210 

clammy 

. . . 142 

black  

208 

honey  

. . . 185 

black  sugar  .... 

208 

yellow 

. . . 188 

Florida  sugar . . . 

139 

Magnolia,  ear-leaved 

. . . 113 

hard 

207 

great  laurel  

. . 110 

mountain 

138 

mountain 

. . . 146 

Norway 

124 

swamp 

. . . 145 

red 

137,  138,  139 

Magnolia  acuminata,  var.  cordata . 

. . . 146 

rock  

207 

fcetida  

. . . 110 

scarlet  

137 

Fraseri  

. . . 113 

silver  

206 

glauca  

. . . 145 

soft 

206 

macrophylla  

. . . 112 

striped 

209 

tripetala 

. . . Ill 

sugar  

207 

Magnolias 

...  110 

swamp 

137 

cultivated  ... 

. . Ill 

sycamore 

211 

How  to  tell  

114,115 

Maples 

205 

Maidenhair  Tree  

. . . 28 

Mist  Tree  

198 

*58 


Mockernul  

Mohrodendron  diptera 
tetraptera  .... 

Moosewood 

Morus  rubra  

Mountain  Ash 

European 

Mulberries 

Mulberry,  red 

Nanny  berry  

rusty 

Nettle  Tree 

Nyssa  aquatica 

Ogeeche 

sylvatica  

Oak,  barren 

basket  

bear  

black  

black  jack 
bur 


Oak,  chestnut 81,  82 

cow  86 

iron 84 

jack  93 

laurel  96,  97 

live 79 

mossy-cup  80 

overcup  83 

pin  87 

post  84 

red  128 

rock  81 

scarlet  88 

scrub  92 

shingle 96 

Spanish  91 

swamp  post 83 

swamp  white 85 

tanbark  81 

turkey  90 

water  94,  97 


45 

140 

140 

209 

106 

129 

130 

105 

106 

244 

245 

103 

223 

222 

221 

93 

86 

92 

89 

93 

80 


259 


Oak,  white 78 

willow 95 

yellow  82,  89 

yellow-bark  89 

Oaks 77 

October  Woods 124 

Oil  nut 35 

Osage-orange 105,  107 

Osier,  golden 61 

Ostrya  Virginiana 63 

Oxydendrum  arboreum  226 

Palm,  royal  31 

Palmetto,  cabbage 30 

Palmettos  29 

Palms 29 

Papaw  116 

Paulownia 242 

Paulownia  imperialis 242 

Pear,  swamp  sugar 136 

Pecan 40 

bitter  43 


Pepperidge  221 

Persimmon  227 

Picea  Canadensis  18 

Mariana 16 

rubens  17 

Pine,  cedar 12 

Cuban  6 

gray  14 

jack  14 

Jersey  13 

loblolly  10 

longleaf  4 

marsh 11 

Norway 8 

old-field 10 

pitch 5 

pond 11 

red  8 

sand 9 

scrub 13,  14 

shortleaf - . 7 


260 


Pine,  southern  .... 

spruce  

swamp 

white  

yellow 

Pines  

Pinus  Caribsea 

clausa 

divaricata 
echinata  .... 

glabra 

palustris  .... 
resinosa  .... 

rigida 

serotina  .... 
strobus  .... 

Tseda  

Virginiana  . . 
Planera  aquatica  . . . 

Planer  Tree 

Plane  tree,  American 


Platanus  occidentals 119 

orientalis 118 

Plum,  Canada  177 

Chickasaw 178 

red  177 

wild  goose  179 

wild  red  176 

yellow 176 

Plums 175 

Pod-bearers 184 

Pomette  bleue  169 

Poplar,  Carolina  54 

large-toothed 49 

Lombardy 53 

silver  52 

white  52 

yellow 147 

Poplars 47 

Populus  alba  52 

balsamifera 50 

deltoides  48 


4 

9,  12 

6 

121 

7 

3 

6 

9 

14 

7 

12 

4 

8 

5 

11 

121 

10 

13 

104 

104 

119 

261 


Populus,  deltoides,  var.  Carolinensis  . . 54 

grandidentata  49 

heterophylla  51 

nigra 53 

nigra,  var.  Italica 53 

tremuloides 126 

Prickly  Ash 190 

Prunus  Alleghaniensis 180 

Americana 176 

augustifolia  178 

hortulana 179 

nigra 177 

Pennsylvanica 181 

serotina  182 

umbellata  180 

Virginiana 183 

Ptelea  trifolia  ta 191 

Quaking  Asp 126 

Quercus  acuminata 82 

alba  78 

Catesbaei  90 


Quercus,  coccinea 88 

digitata  91 

imbricaria  96 

laurifolia  97 

lyrata 83 

macrocarpa 80 

Marilandica 93 

Michauxii  86 

minor 84 

nana 92 

nigra  94 

palustris , . 87 

phellos  95 

platanoides  85 

Prinus  81 

rubra  128 

velutina 89 

Virginiana 79 

Redbud  141 

Rhamnus  Caroliniana 21 G 

Rhododendron,  great 152 


262 


Rhododendron,  maximum 

Rhus  copallina  

glabra 

hirta 

Vernix  

Robinia  Pseudacaeia  .... 

viscosa 

Rose  Bay 

Rowan-tree 

Roystonea  regia  

Sabal  Palmetto 

Salisburia  adiantifolia  . . . 
Salix  alba,  var.  vitellina  . . 
amygdaloides  .... 

discolor  

fluviatilis 

lucida 

nigra 

Sassafras  

Sassafras  

Savin  


Service-berries  157 

Shadbush  156 

dwarf  136 

Sheepberry  244 

Sloe,  Allegheny 180 

black 180 

Silver  Bell  Tree 140 

Smoke  Tree 193 

American 198 

Snowdrop  Tree 140 

Sorbus  Americana  129 

Sourwood 226 

Spruce,  black 16 

red  17 

white  18 

Spruces  3 

‘ ‘ Sting  tongue  ” 9 190 

Sugar  Berry 103 

Sumach,  black 195 

dwarf 195 

hairy 194 


152 

195 

197 

194 

196 

188 

142 

152 

130 

31 

30 

28 

61 

58 

60 

57 

59 

56 

150 

150 

26 


263 


Sumach,  mountain 

poison 

smooth 

staghorn 

Venetian  

Sumachs  

Swamp  Bay 

Sweet  Bay 

Sweet  Gum  117, 

Sweet  Leaf 

Sycamore 

Sycamores 

Symplocos  tinctoria  

Tacamahac 

Taxodium  distichum  

Thorn,  cock-spur  

Washington 

Thuya  occidentalis 

Tilia  Americana  .......... 

heterophylla  

pubescens  


Toothache  Tree 190 

Toxylon  pomiferum 107 

Tree  of  Heaven 192 

Tsuga  Canadensis 19 

Caroliniana 20 

Tulip  Tree  108,  147 

Tupelo 221 

sour  222 

Tupelos  220 

Ulmus  alata  102 

Americana 143 

fulva 100 

Thomasi 101 

Umbrella  Tree Ill 

Viburnum  Lentago 244 

prunifolium 246 

rufidulum 245 

Viburnums  243 

Virgilia 186 

Wafer  Ash 191 

Wahoo  102, 204 


195 

196 

197 

194 

198 

193 

145 

145 

148 

228 

119 

118 

228 

50 

25 

159 

168 

23 

144 

218 

219 


264 


fValnut,  black 36 

white  35 

Walnuts 34 

Willow,  black 56 

golden  osier 61 

peach-leaf  58 

pussy  60 

sandbar  . 57 


Willow,  shining  5& 

Willows  55 

Witch  Hazel  117,149 

Yaupon  201 

Yellow-wood 186 

Yucca  aloifolia 33 

Yuccas c . „ „ o . c o c o o o c . . . . . 32 


265 


